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Jubilee Gems 

OF THE 

Visitation Order 


COMPILED AND TRANSLATED FROM APPROVED 
SOURCES AND DEDICATED TO THEIR PUPILS 

BY THE 

SISTERS OF THE VISITATION OF HOLY MARY 

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 

1855-1905 


j > 
>) > 


NEW YORK 

CHRISTIAN PRESS ASSOCIATION 
PUBLISHING COMPANY 

26 BARCLAY STREET 

I 9°S 













'EM 541 

.S-S 


LIBRARY of OCNGfiESS 
Two Copies lieoeived 

APR 6 1905 

Depyrijeni tntfy 

?K«n, A ilOiT 

OU’.SS ou Me, Not; 

/// /y-/ 

COPY B. 

ObM * 8 * 9 


COPYRIGHTED, 1905, 

BY THE 

SISTERS OF THE VISITATION 
Second Av. and Eighty-ninth St., Brooklyn, N. V. 



a ±"-/OW s- 







VUbll ©bstat 


M. G. FLANNERY, 

Censor. 


Imprimatur. 

* CHARLES E. McDONNELL, D.D. 

Bishop of Brooklyn. 


2>et>ication 


TO THE PUPILS OF THE VISITATION, WHO, 

DURING THE PAST FIFTY YEARS, HAVE LEARNED 

LESSONS OF PIETY AND KNOWLEDGE IN THE SCHOOL 
OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE GENTLE BISHOP OF 
GENEVA, THESE LIFE-STORIES OF THE HOLY 

FOUNDERS AND SAINTLY SISTERS OF THE ORDER, 
ARE AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED BY TtfL 
VISITANDINES OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. 



CONTENTS, 


PAGE 

Introduction. 9 

LIPE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 

CHAP. 

I. His Birth and Childhood. 17 

II. Student Life. 23 

III. Vocation to the Priesthood. Apostolic Labors. 30 

IV. Continuation of the Work in the Chablais. 36 

V. Francis becomes Coadjutor, then Bishop. 45 

VI. Francis preaches the Lent at Chambery. Death of his 

Mother, M. Deage and Henry the Fourth. 52 

VII. Organization of the Order of the Visitation. 58 

VIII. Various Incidents of the Saint’s Later Years. 64 

IX. Death of St. Francis of Sales. 69 

LIFE OF SAINT JANE FRANCES DE CHANTAL. 

I. Girlhood and Marriage, 1572-1595. 77 

II. Life at Bourbilly. Baron de Chantal’s Death. Early 

Widowhood, 1595-1602. 87 

III. Life at Monthelon. Saint Francis of Sales. Work among 
the Sick and Poor, 1602-1606 

5 


95 
















CONTENTS. 


PAOfi 

IV. Madame de Chantal’s Vocation to the Religious Life, 

1607-1610. 99 

V. Life at the Gallery House. Deaths and Changes. New 

Home, 1611-1617. 109 

VI. Death of Bernard and Marie Aimee de Sales. Founda¬ 
tions. Angelique Arnaud. Death of Francis de Sales, 

1617-1622 . . 114 

VII. Work of Organization. Foundations. Marriage of 

Celse Benigne. His Death. The Plague, 1622-1629... 121 

VIII. Illness of Fran5oise. Steps for the Canonization of Saint 
Francis of Sales. Deaths. Second House at Annecy, 

1629-1634. 129 

IX. Assembly of the Bishops at Paris. Visit to Convents. 
Death of First Companions. Foundation of Turin, 

1635-1639. 134 

X. Last Journey and Death, 1641. 142 

LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 

I. Childhood and Early Years.. 151 

II. Margaret’s Vocation. Her Reception and Profession at 

the Visitation. 158 

III. Special Favors. First Revelation of the Sacred Heart_ 169 

IV. Second and Third Revelations. Father de la Colombiere. 175 

V. Trials. Death of Father de la Colombiere. Devotion to 

the Sacred Heart in the Noviciate of Paray. Triumph 

in the Community. 181 

VI. Vision of July second, 1688. Last Grand Revelation. Mar¬ 
garet Mary’s Holy Death. 189 

6 













CONTENTS. 


LIFE OF THE VENERABLE SISTER ANNE MADELEINE 

REMUZAT. 

PAGE 


I. Marseilles. The Remuzats. Birth and Early Years. 203 

II. Boarding School. First Communion. Choice of the 

Heart of Jesus. 207 

III. Madeleine at Home. 214 

IV. Madeleine’s Vocation. She enters the Visitation. Super¬ 

natural Favors. Her holy Profession. 219 

V. Mission of Anne Madeleine. Her Virtues. 223 

VI. Extraordinary Favors. Association of Perpetual Adora¬ 
tion. 227 

VII. Miracle. First Revelations. The Plague at Marseilles.. 232 

VIII. Supernatural Favors. Her Blessed Death. 239 

IX. The Memory of Anne Madeleine. 245 

Brief by which Anne Madeleine is declared Venerable... 250 


LIFE OF THE VENERABLE MOTHER MARIE DE SALES 

CHAPPU 1 S. 

I. Her Birth and Childhood. 259 

II. She enters the Visitation, at Fribourg, Switzerland. 270 

III. She is made Superioress of the Monastery of Troyes. 279 

IV. The “ Good Mother” and the Work of Education. 295 

V. Her Interior Life. 300 

VI. Her Exterior Works. 310 

VII. Her Last Illness and Death.329 

VIII. Opening of the Tomb of the “ Venerable ” Mother. Brief 

by which she is declared “ Venerable.” Selections 
from the Pensees ” of the Venerable Mother. 334 

7 



















I 





INTRODUCTION. 


Somebody has said that he who causes an addi¬ 
tional blade of grass to grow, is a benefactor of man¬ 
kind. If this be true, how much more deeply in¬ 
debted the world is to one who coaxes a flower of 
virtue to spring into beautiful and fragrant existence ! 
The one but feebly adorns for a little while the 
inanimate face of unthinking nature; the other 
beautifies and embellishes forever the immortal 
spirit of God’s greatest creature. An ignoble worm 
may destroy the one; no power less than the im¬ 
perial will of man can destroy the other. 

The object of this little book is to grow spiritual 
flowers in the souls of its readers. It aims, by en¬ 
couraging right living, to beget within them the 
peace of which the angels sang ; to help them to 
diffuse happiness in their homes and to stimulate 
them to be brave and practical friends of God, as 
they live out their lives in a vicious world. What 
9 


INTRODUCTION. 


influence inclines us more strongly to live our faith, 
to hold our light aloft amid the darkness around us, 
that others may see its shining and be guided home 
to God, than the example of those of our own kind 
and age and circumstances ? When we see the foot¬ 
prints they have left, are we not willing and glad to 
follow ? 

The lives that are outlined in the following pages 
have been selected and grouped with this dominant 
idea in mind. Through the luminous white veil 
that envelops them the outlines of humanity can be 
plainly seen. We are encouraged when we notice 
that, like ourselves, they were “ of the earth earthy ; ” 
that, like us, they felt the sting of self-denial and 
self-control; that, somewhat as we do, they stumbled 
and sometimes fell; and we are astonished to see 
them raised and made strong, courageous, victori¬ 
ous, saintly, by the every-day means so familiar to 
us,—prayer, penance, and especially by the smiling 
and sympathetic Friend in the God-given Eucharist. 

Here, we have the attractive Saint Francis de 
Sales—the gentleman Saint—as considerate and as 
human as can be; the practical, motherly and 
queenly Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, whom we 
io 



INTRODUCTION. 


feel we might have met and saluted, yesterday, and 
with them, fruits of the glorious tree they planted, 
are happy school girls that ripened into happier and 
holier maturity. 

We are too apt to think of the Saints as of a 
generation differing from our own ; of their virtues 
as impossible for us to practise. We forget that 
they went on and up one step at a time, the wounded 
Hand of Christ clasped in theirs, guiding and sus¬ 
taining them. The divine companionship made the 
rocky climb easy and delightful, until they reached 
a level, high above the dark, damp valley, in which 
we dwell. Standing there, as free from the slavery 
of the flesh as are the vigorous mountain breezes ; 
breathing in the pure, exhilarating air, that is un¬ 
tainted by the malarial poisons of earth, they saw 
within easy reach of them the shining walls and 
glittering turrets of the enchanting City of God and 
the heavenly harmonies they heard, were echoed in 
their hearts. 

God would gladly do the same for us, but the 
pity of it is, we will not put our hand in His ; the 
Wound seems to frighten us. And yet we are forced 
to deny ourselves; we suffer misery ; we submit to 



INTRODUCTION. 


the mastery of others,—all this, to secure some pass¬ 
ing material advantage. We are very like the sav¬ 
ages Columbus met on landing here:—we barter 
away good, solid gold and receive in return broken 
bits of colored glass. Did we ever do for God what 
we do for man, we would make, rather respectable 
Saints ourselves. May this volume start us on our 
way! 

On the feast of the Presentation, 1620, Saint 
Francis de Sales preached on the text: “ Look and 
make according to the model, which thou hast seen 
upon the mountain.” (Exodus xxv.) The Saint 
said : “ In the old law, God commanded Moses to 
place between the altar of holocaust and the altar of 
perfumes, a basin of brass to be filled with water, 
and also that the basin be embellished with mirrors 
such as the Hebrew women used. The early Fathers 
assert that the basin represents the doctrine of the 
gospels. The mirrors represent the examples of the 
Saints. May we not say that the lustre of their 
lives adds new beauty to the gospels ? Again, may 
not their lives serve as mirrors to be constantly kept 
before our eyes, that we may see what virtues we 
need and what example we should follow? ” 

12 



INTRODUCTION. 


But little claim to originality is made for the 
volume now presented. The “ Jubilee Gems ” have 
been gathered here and there, from sources that are 
rich, rare and reliable and have been merely grouped 
into a new combination. They have been set with 
the fixed purpose of pleasing, attracting, and in¬ 
fluencing the young. Gifted authors who, during 
the past two centuries and a half, have written of 
the holy ones of the Visitation Order, have been 
placed under tribute. Facts that illustrate especi¬ 
ally the early years of these saintly lives, have been 
culled from Monseigneur de Segur; Monseigneur 
Bougaud, Bishop of Laval ; Monseigneur Languet ; 
the Abb6 Daras ; the Reverend Oblate Fathers of 
Saint Francis of Sales; Miss Emily Bowles; A. de 
Margerie ; and the Visitandines of Paray-le-Monial, 
of Roselands, England, and of Marseilles, France. 

Somewhat as a lens draws rays of light from vari¬ 
ous directions and brings them to a brilliant focus, 
so the compilers of this work have gathered infor¬ 
mation from these luminous minds of various times 
and places and have condensed it into concise, 
animated and instructive form. 

There is a lamentable lack, to-day, of books suit- 
13 



INTRODUCTION. 


able for Catholic school premiums, The “ Jubilee 
Gems ” will help to supply that lack. It will, more¬ 
over, do much towards supplementing and crystalliz¬ 
ing Catholic training. It will be an object lesson in 
the practice, by the students of the ordinary, as well 
as of the extraordinary virtues. 

The Visitandines of Brooklyn fittingly celebrate 
their fiftieth year of Catholic teaching by giving to 
the general reading public one more good book. It 
may be profitably read by all, and there is abundant 
room for it. Though hundreds of books are pub¬ 
lished every day, but few of them indeed are safe 
and helpful. This is an age of omnivorous reading ; 
it is also an age of tainted literature. Mercenary 
publishers cater to the public taste, which they 
themselves have vitiated. Every good book added 
to the meagre list is a positive and a permanent 
blessing. When placed in the hands, particularly of 
the young, it may change the character of a life¬ 
time, just as a pebble near the source of a little 
stream may determine the course of a mighty 
river. 

There are libraries in plenty and they constantly 
increase in number and size, but libraries like drug 
H 



INTRODUCTION. 


stores have on their shelves much that is harmless 
and more that is hurtful—deadly poison of various 
kinds. There is this difference : the druggist deals 
out his poison only by prescription and in small 
quantities, while young and old help themselves, 
often unwittingly, to the deadly dose the library 
supplies. 

A book is sure to hurt or help. There is no com¬ 
panionship more absorbing than that between a 
reader and what he reads. Other companionships 
are in the main external, but in this one, the will 
and the understanding carry the ideas, be they good 
or bad, to the inner sanctuary of the soul, and the 
memory keeps them there. 

Therefore, do we wish a cordial God-speed to the 
“ Jubilee Gems.” Its golden goodness is sure to 
beget goodness that is golden, wherever it goes. 
May its career be long, active, wide-spread and 
fruitful. 

E. W. McCarty. 

ST. AUGUSTINE’S RECTORY, BROOKLYN, 

FEAST OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES, I905. 


15 



* 




JUBILEE GEMS 

OF THE 

VISITATION ORDER. 

LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


CHAPTER FIRST. 

HIS BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD. 

Each Saint has his own especial characteristic, as 
each flower in a garden has its own peculiar perfume. 
Meekness is the predominant trait of Saint Francis 
of Sales. This virtue it is which gives such a charm 
to his character, that won for him in his life-time, 
and wins for him to-day, such incomparable influ¬ 
ence over souls. 

It was on the twenty-first of August, 1567, that 
Francis was born at the castle of Sales. His father, 
the Lord of Nouvelles, had married Mademoiselle de 
Sionnaz, who brought him as her dowry, the rich 
domain of Boisy, on condition that he would take 
> 2 17 






LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


the name. This is why his parents are known in 
history as Monsieur and Madame de Boisy. When 
this first child was given them, they had been mar¬ 
ried six years, but his birth was followed by that of 
twelve other children, five of whom died in infancy. 
He was baptized the very day of his birth, and when 
he was brought back to his mother, the pious coun¬ 
tess uttered these beautiful words : “ My child, you 

have become the companion of the Angels, the 
brother of the Infant Jesus, the temple of the Holy 
Ghost, a member of the Catholic Church : this is a 
token of divine love. You must be consecrated to 
God.” 

Francis grew up like an angel among men, meek, 
peaceable, modest and kind and, after God, it was to 
his good motherthat he owed all these beautiful quali¬ 
ties. In his babyhood, Madame de Boisy always 
dressed and undressed him herself; she allowed 
him neither elegant clothes, nor dainty food, nor any 
thing that could make him effeminate, while she 
watched over his health with all a mother’s tender¬ 
ness. 

At an early age, she taught her child to love God, 
by making him familiar with what this great God 
18 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


has condescended to do for man in the creation, re¬ 
demption and sanctification. Francis understood 
this language of love, and his first consecutive words 
were: “ God and my mother love me much.” 

Francis showed his precocious virtue on the occasion 
of two slight faults, the details of which have been 
handed down to us. One day, the boy noticed 
lying on the ground the vest of a workman em¬ 
ployed at the castle, to the button-hole of which 
was attached a ribbon of bright, fantastic colors. 
His childish eyes being captivated by the beauty of 
the ribbon, he took it. Coming for his vest, the 
workman immediately missed the ribbon, for which 
he asked everyone about the castle. The count, 
on learning the fact, questioned Francis, who frankly 
acknowledged, without offering any excuse, that he 
had taken the ribbon; then he fell on his knees and 
begged his father to forgive him. All present wept 
with emotion and united their entreaties with those 
of Francis; but the Count, knowing what fatal 
results might follow a first fault of this kind, was 
inflexible, and gave the lad a severe whipping, telling 
him that if the punishment was so slight, it was 
because the fault was the first and had been acknowl- 
l 9 





LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


edged. He added that a repetition of the act would 
receive still more rigorous chastisement. The cor¬ 
rection was so beneficial that never again did Francis 
take even a fruit from the garden. He himself 
relates that passing the kitchen, one day, he saw the 
cook taking some delicious little cakes out of the 
oven. Though his parents had forbidden him, he 
went into the kitchen and asked for one of the cakes, 
which was put, burning hot, into his hand, yet his 
greed was greater than his pain, he said, and he kept 
the cake rather than throw it away. 

As soon as Francis could lisp a few words, his 
mother taught him to pronounce the sacred Names 
of Jesus and Mary and the words of the Sign of the 
Cross. Later, he took special pleasure in repeating 
the Our Father and the Hail Mary, and, having a 
quick and active mind, always wanted to learn some¬ 
thing new, which his good memory enabled him to 
retain. His next lesson was the Catechism, which 
was taught him orally, and which he desired to 
communicate to other children, whom he assembled 
by the ringing of a little bell. Then Francis ar¬ 
ranged them in a circle round him and repeated, 
with appropriate gestures, the questions that had 
20 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


just been taught him, making the children repeat 
them until they knew them perfectly. 

Sometimes, this child of five was carried away by 
his zeal and, if he happened to meet a Huguenot, he 
would, without the least human respect, prove his 
errors by the Catechism. Sometimes the boy’s 
attacks were so violent, that it was necessary to lock 
him in a room, when a reformer came to visit his 
parents. Thus were foreshadowed the apostolic 
labors, he was, as priest and bishop, to accomplish 
with so much glory and success. We read that, in 
his zeal, the young saint was a support even to his 
own mother. Seeing her in sorrow, he would say, 
by way of consolation : “ Dear Mother, let us have 

recourse to God; He will help us.” Sometimes, 
hearing her say, in difficulties: “ Lord, come to my 
aid ! ” Francis would answer : “ Well said, dear 

Mother ; say it very often, say it from the bottom of 
your heart, and you shall see that the good God will 
come to your aid.” 

The pious Countess was accustomed to read to 
her son the Lives of the Saints and to explain to him 
how he could and ought to imitate each saint. This 
awakened within him an ardent desire for sanctity, 
21 




LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


and Francis would interrupt the reading with— 
“ Mamma, I also desire to become a saint." Her 
eyes full of tears, the mother would reply : “ Dear 
child, if your desire is sincere, God will grant you 
the grace.” Never was Francis heard to utter a 
word contrary to the truth, and he would rather be 
punished, even for a fault of inadvertence, than tell 
a lie. 

There was observable in Francis, at two years of 
age, tender compassion and great love for the poor. 
He gave everything he had, especially to children, 
and then, crying bitterly, would allow his nurse no 
rest until further means had been found to relieve 
the needy. He would even leave table to carry to a 
poor person at the door, a part of his meal, and when 
he had nothing to give, he would entreat his father 
and mother to assist the unfortunate. Sometimes, 
to try his patience, they would not at once accede to 
his request, when, so great was his compassion, that 
big tears would fall from his eyes, and cease only 
when alms were given. This charity was evinced 
towards every one. The old records tell us that 
once one of his servants bought for him a pair of 
gloves, at a much lower price than had at first been 
22 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


asked and told Francis that, as usual, the merchant 
complained of having sold them at a loss. The 
child was so affected by this, that he paid the shop¬ 
keeper, from his own purse, the sum he said he had 
lost. 

On another occasion, in crossing a bridge that had 
been newly repaired, Francis noticed that his servant 
did not pay the toll demanded by the workman, 
probably because the nobility were exempt from it. 
“ My God,” said he, “ these poor men work by the 
sweat of their brow, to do us service, and should we 
pay them nothing? It is not just !” and opening 
his purse, he paid the small amount so graciously 
and amiably, that it doubled the value of the deed. 


CHAPTER SECOND. 

STUDENT LIFE. 

WHEN Francis was six years old, his father sent 
him to the college of La Roche, a small town, two 
leagues from the castle, where he learned to read and 
write; and, two years later, to the college of Annecy, 
23 




LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


to study Latin. Here he remained for five years, and 
here, he made his First Communion and received 
Confirmation from the hands of Monseigneur Ange 
Justiniani, who called the boy “ the visible angel of 
the country." From that time, he communicated 
first, every first Sunday of the month, and afterwards, 
every week. When asked the motive of his fre¬ 
quent Communions, he answered : ” I communicate 
for the same reason that I often converse with my 
master, who can always teach me something ; now 
Jesus is the Master of the science of the saints, and 
I often approach Him, that He may teach me this 
science, because it would little matter for me to be 
well educated, and even learned, if I do not become 
a saint.” At the Holy Table, Francis acquired fresh 
zeal for the practice of virtue and the needful strength 
against temptations. To render himself worthy of 
this signal favor, he strove to moderate the great 
vivacity of his mind, to overcome his hasty and 
irascible temper, and to subject to grace the move¬ 
ments of his heart. Thus he acquired invariable 
meekness and that peace of soul, without which one 
cannot advance on the road to perfection. 

Having finished the study of Literature, Francis 

24 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


was sent by his father to pursue his Humanities at 
the college of Clermont in Paris, then conducted by 
the Fathers of the Society of Jesus. He was accom¬ 
panied by the Reverend Abb£ D£age, his tutor, and 
George Rolland, his valet, who was to serve him 
until his death. 

The young student’s industry and application en¬ 
abled him to pass successfully through the course of 
Rhetoric. He edified his master by his eminent 
virtue, while, in the eyes of his companions, he was 
a model of perfection. When they saw him coming, 
they would say : “ Let us be good ; here is the 

Saint.” Often Francis took walks with his fellow- 
students to quiet groves outside the city, in order to 
pray or sing the Litany of our Lady. On beautiful 
Spring mornings, especially, he loved to climb the 
hills with his friends and raise their hearts above the 
beauties of nature to their Creator. He would say : 
“ Let us begin by praising and blessing the Lord, for 
it is He who has given us this lovely day, these fine 
trees, charming prairies, beautiful birds, and the 
limpid streams, whose gentle murmur is so attractive. 

A little incident belonging to this period of our 
Saint’s life, evidences his ardent zeal for souls. 

25 




LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


Francis invited to breakfast with him a young and 
very pious friend, who arrived promptly at the hour 
agreed upon. Francis met him with the words: 
“ Dear friend, I am going to the church of the Jesuit 
Fathers to confess and communicate, will you go 
with me ? ” The proposal was unexpected, but, after 
a moment’s hesitation, it was accepted ; the two 
young men went to church and performed their devo¬ 
tions. On their way home, Francis said to his friend : 
“ That was the feast to which I invited you ; let us 
now go and feed our bodies.” They spent the 
whole day together, so pleasantly and so devoutly, 
that the guest was perfectly satisfied with the hospi¬ 
tality that he received. 

Francis was as willing to share the troubles as the 
joys of his friends and on one occasion he was, at 
his own entreaty, feruled instead of his cousin, 
Gaspard de Sales, and on another, he received a 
violent blow from the impatient master, for plead¬ 
ing the cause of a servant, who had committed some 
fault. The vacations were spent in forming to 
virtue the innocent souls of his brothers, Janus, 
Louis and John, their mother encouraging the boys 
to imitate Francis, follow his advice, and do all that 
26 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


he would tell them. The closest intimacy existed 
between Francis and Louis, who wanted to follow 
his brother everywhere and imitate him in every 
thing; they were inseparable and animated one 
another to the practice of virtue. 

From his earliest childhood, Francis had been 
taught to revere Mary, the Mother of God, and his 
love of her grew with his growth, inspiring him with 
many holy practices in her honor. During his 
student life at Paris, he was fond of visiting her 
shrine in the church of Saint-Etienne-des-Gr£s, and 
here it was that he was freed from a dangerous 
temptation, to which, in order to strengthen his 
courage, our Lord permitted the pious youth to be 
subjected. He was pursued by the fixed idea of his 
eternal damnation, in consequence of which he lost 
sleep and appetite, but increased his prayers and 
austerities, while the evil one never ceased whisper¬ 
ing iq his ear: “You will be damned!”“ Lord,” 
then exclaimed Francis, “if I may not love Thee in 
the other life, at least grant me Thy love, while I 
am on earth.” After undergoing this torture for six 
weeks, Francis one day entered the church of Saint- 
Etienne-des-Gr&s and, after having recited the 
27 




LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


Memorare before the statue of the Blessed Virgin, 
venerated even in our time, in the chapel of the 
Ladies of Saint Thomas of Villanova, renewed his 
Vow of Chastity. Then the veil that obscured his 
mind fell at once, the trial was at an end. 

Hardly were his literary and scientific studies com¬ 
pleted at Paris, in 1586, when Francis, after a short 
stay with his family, proceeded to the University of 
Padua, to study law. There, his ever increasing 
piety won for him all hearts; some libertines, how¬ 
ever, whom neither his example nor his counsels 
had been able to bring back to the right path, re¬ 
solved to deprive him of general esteem by making 
him pass for a coward. One evening, several of 
them lay in ambush in a deserted street, through 
which he had to pass, and fell upon him, as if to 
take his life. The holy youth, using the right of 
lawful self-defence, drew his sword, put himself on 
the defensive, and threatened to strike them, if they 
did not depart. Intimidated by this unexpected 
attitude, these libertines immediately withdrew and 
henceforth allowed Francis to pass unmolested. 

A serious illness interrupted his studies for a time, 
and it was even thought that he would die. When 
28 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


the patient was in the greatest danger, he expressed 
to Mr. Deage the desire that, after his death, his 
body might be handed over to the surgeons, to 
serve for the study of anatomy. God, touched by 
this humility and destining Francis for a high posi¬ 
tion in His Church, restored him to health almost 
suddenly. 

On September fifth, 1591, Francis, having received 
the diploma of Doctor of Laws, went to visit Rome 
and Loretto. Being miraculously preserved from 
danger of death at Rome, Francis owed also to 
divine Providence his not being buried in the sea. 
As he was preparing to go from Ancona to Venice, 
a Neapolitan lady claimed that the vessel, in which 
Francis had already paid his passage, had been 
reserved for herself and her suite. In spite of the 
remonstrances of the young man, the lady insisted 
with so much haughtiness and arrogance that the 
Saint felt obliged to yield. The ship had scarcely 
left the shore, when a storm suddenly arising, sub¬ 
merged the felucca and all its passengers, while 
Francis could not but bless God, who turns all 
things to the good of those that love Him. 


29 



CHAPTER THIRD. 


FRANCIS’S VOCATION. HIS APOSTOLIC LABORS. 

FRANCIS was now almost twenty-five, and after only 
a short stay in Venice, he returned to his family in 
Savoy, from whom he had been absent several years. 
His intelligence, his scholarly attainments and even 
the beauty of his person, caused indescribable joy to 
his parents and Mr. de Boisy, convinced that his 
son would be the glory of his family and his country, 
wished him to be admitted as Counsellor to the 
Parliament of Savoy, but his mother, who read better 
her child’s soul, felt that he would be a great saint, the 
salvation of many souls, and the glory of the Church. 
Francis, always submissive, set out for Chambery, 
where after the usual preliminaries, he was received 
and proclaimed advocate. He would have been 
happy, too, to fulfil the duties of his new office, if God 
had not called him to a more perfect state and pre¬ 
pared for him another and more divine Tribunal. 
From the time of his First Communion, Francis 
30 


LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


had had but one thought, to live for God alone and 
to consecrate himself to Him in the priesthood. 
Shortly after, he had obtained permission from his 
father, who looked upon it as a childish fancy, to 
receive the tonsure, the first of the Minor Orders, 
in the church of Clermont, on the twentieth of Sep¬ 
tember, 1578. Thenceforth, Francis considered him¬ 
self as betrothed to the holy Church of God, and his 
life became but a long preparation for the sacred 
ministry. After his admission to Parliament, a 
prodigy three times renewed, convinced him that 
God’s time had now come and, after earnest prayer 
and wise counsel, he determined to ask his father’s 
consent to enter the priesthood. Far different were 
Mr. de Boisy’s projects for the future of his gifted 
son: a brilliant establishment in the world, with a 
wife suitable to his rank and position was to be the 
first step towards their accomplishment. The next 
was to be the acceptance of the senatorship, now 
offered to Francis, so everything seemed to conspire 
against the realization of the Saint’s lofty aspirations 
and the obtaining of the much desired permission. 
Louis de Sales, a cousin of Francis and Canon of the 
Chapter of Geneva, understanding the difficulties of 
3 1 





LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


the situation, resolved to overcome, by the acquisition 
of a rare honor, the opposition that he knew Mr. 
Boisy would make to his son’s vocation. The office 
of Provost having become vacant, Louis begged the 
Bishop of Geneva, Monseigneur Claude de Granier, to 
bestow this position on the young Saint, whom his 
Lordship had long known and admired. 

Entering into the designs of Providence, Monsei¬ 
gneur de Granier eagerly acceded to the proposal and 
having obtained the approbation of the Holy See, 
presented the Pope’s Bull to Francis. Accompanied 
by his cousin, Francis presented himself to his 
father, and falling on his knees, begged him to grant 
the one thing in the world that was the object of his 
hopes and desires, the consecration of himself to 
God in the priesthood. Mr. de Boisy, deeply 
affected, at first made some objections, but, yielding 
to the entreaties of Francis and the tears of his wife, 
he generously made his sacrifice and blessed the son, 
whom he gave to God, to the poor, to the Church, 
and who, by his sanctity, was to render his name illus¬ 
trious with a glory far superior to all human glory. 

The holiness of Francis was so universally recog¬ 
nized, that no one protested against the dignity of 
32 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


Provost, with which, while still so young, he had 
just been invested. Welcomed with delight by the 
Chapter and people of Annecy, Francis received 
marked testimonies of the love and esteem of 
his Bishop, who, divinely enlightened, saw in this 
young man, his immediate successor. The Bishop 
at once conferred on him the Sub-deaconship and 
six months later, on December eighteenth, 1593, 
ordained him priest. 

Prepared for the sacred ministry by so many 
virtues, Francis devoted himself without reserve to 
the service of souls, visiting by preference the poor 
and the destitute, whom he consoled and fortified 
with exquisite kindness. Seeking out those whom 
others rejected, those whose sores rendered them 
most repulsive, he cared for and cheered them. 
Towards sinners especially, he showed himself com¬ 
passionate ; he brought them back to God, by his 
meekness and the ascendency of his virtues; he 
went so far even as to take upon himself the penance 
due to their crimes, leaving them no care but that of 
repentance. Giving himself without reserve, he 
preached the divine Word almost every day, multi¬ 
plying his efforts in regard to the Protestants, 
3 33 




LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


whom the schism of Luther and Calvin had robbed 
of the true Faith and whom his discourses brought 
back to the Catholic Church, preaching no less 
zealously before a scanty congregation, as before the 
largest audiences. 

Soon Providence opened to Francis a vaster field, 
thickly strewn with thorns and briars, but which his 
toils and tears were to render fruitful. This field was 
the province of the Chablais, of which the cities, 
taken in turn by the Bernese and the Duke of Savoy, 
had shortly before again fallen under the dominion 
of the Duke. The inhabitants, wavering for sixty 
years between truth and error, had finally deter¬ 
mined to side with error and Calvinism exercised 
over all its despotic sway. 

The duke Charles Emmanuel of Savoy and the 
Bishop of Geneva, desirous to bring back to the true 
Fold this erring people, were seeking an apostle to 
evangelize them. Francis, seeing only the trouble 
and the dangers of this undertaking, offered him¬ 
self to his Bishop, and in spite of the tears and re¬ 
monstrances of his father, whose opposition his gen¬ 
erous ardor once more overcame, he set off without 
delay on the mission intrusted to him. 

34 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES. 


It was at the fortress of Allinges, a strong castle, 
a few miles from Thonon, that Francis at first fixed 
his abode, going every morning to Thonon, to as¬ 
semble the small number of Catholics who resided 
there. Hardly was his coming known, than the 
Protestant ministers roused the people against him. 
One evening, when Francis was returning to the fort¬ 
ress of Allinges, two fanatics, sword in hand sprang 
upon him. He immediately advanced towards them, 
spoke to them with meekness and superhuman au¬ 
thority, excited them to repentance and opened to 
them his arms. The would-be assassins fell on their 
knees and promised conversion. 

After this adventure, in which the saintly priest 
nearly lost his life, M. de Boisy, uniting his entreaties 
to those of the Baron d’ Hermance, governor of the 
castle of Allinges, besought him not to continue to 
expose himself in this way, but the Saint would not 
listen to them. Strong in God, for whom he toiled 
and suffered, he resolved, on the contrary, in order 
to render his mission more efficacious, to reside at 
Thonon, in the very stronghold of heresy. He 
lodged with a pious widow and, as there was in the 
city no Catholic chapel, the holy Apostle commenced 
35 




LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


his labors, each day, by going to offer the Holy Sac¬ 
rifice in the church of Marin, some distance from the 
city. In order to reach it, he had to cross a totter¬ 
ing bridge, which the melting snow soon carried off. 
It was replaced by the trunk of a tree, which the ice 
and snow rendered so slippery, that, in order to pass 
over this primitive bridge, Francis had to drag him¬ 
self along on his hands and knees. 

The example of so many virtues already produced 
abundant fruits. Souls flocked to him, sinners were 
converted, and every day some Protestants returned 
to God. The poor and lowly gave the example, but 
soon the two famous conversions, of Peter Poncet, a 
renowned lawyer, and the Baron d’Avully, the noble 
of highest rank in the Chablais, finally determined 
many of the weak and wavering of the better classes, 
to abandon heresy. 

CHAPTER FOURTH. 

CONTINUATION OF WORK IN THE CHABLAIS. 

The two important conversions, mentioned at the 
close of the last chapter, were but the first-fruits of 
the gigantic work accomplished in a few short years, 
by the fervent Apostle of the Chablais. One of the 
36 




LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


principal Calvinist ministers of Geneva, named La 
Faye, having had the imprudence to write to the 
Baron d’Avully that Francis had deceived him and 
that he pledged himself to convict the Saint of error, 
Francis, counting upon God’s help, accepted the 
challenge. The minister not coming to Thonon, 
according to his promise, Francis went to him with 
the Baron d’Avully and a large number of Prot¬ 
estants. The conference took place publicly and 
Francis refuted so logically the errors of the Lu¬ 
theran, that the latter insultingly put an end to the 
discussion. The effect was immense throughout 
the country, and the entire population was stirred 
by it, conversions were counted by hundreds, and 
whole villages returned to the unity of the Faith. 

The duke of Savoy, charmed by the account of 
these wonders, sent for Francis to come to Turin, 
wishing to do all in his power to facilitate the re¬ 
establishment of the Catholic religion in his domin¬ 
ions. He ordered the restitution to the rectors, or 
“ cur£s ” of the Chablais, of the ecclesiastical prop¬ 
erty that had been seized by the Calvinists and re¬ 
stored the churches to Catholic worship. 

On his return to Thonon, Francis had the conso- 

37 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


lation of being able to celebrate midnight Mass, at 
Christmas, in spite of the threats of the Protestants, 
who wished to oppose it with violence and, from 
that day, the Holy Sacrifice was offered without in- 
terruption in that fortunate city, where heresy had 
triumphed for more than sixty years. 

Meanwhile, God continued to bless the zeal and 
the virtues of His servant and the most striking con¬ 
versions, such as that of Peter Fournier, syndic of 
Thonon, rewarded the exertions of the Apostle. The 
Holy See next intimated the desire that Francis 
should go to Geneva to confer with Theodore de 
Beza, Calvin’s successor and chief of heresy, and he 
did not hesitate to act in accordance with it. After 
several perilous journeys, in which he endangered 
his life on the Lake of Geneva, the Apostle of the 
Chablais at last reached, on April eighth, 1597, the 
home of the distinguished Protestant. The minis¬ 
ter was then seventy-seven years of age. His as¬ 
tonishment was great, when Francis presented him¬ 
self and made known his purpose, but, influenced by 
the sanctity of his visitor, Theodore de Beza con¬ 
sented to have a discussion with him. In this first 
conference, the old man was forced to acknowledge 
38 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


that salvation could be attained in the Roman 
Catholic Church. In order to justify the seditions, 
wars, massacres, and conflagrations, enkindled by 
the Calvinists, he fell back upon the exterior abuses 
which had glided into the Church, and further to 
defend his cause enlarged on the great principle of 
Protestantism, that faith, without works, suffices to 
be saved. 

Francis went twice again to Geneva, but all his 
efforts were baffled by the obduracy of the heretic. 
He recognized the truth, but had not the courage to 
sacrifice his honors and his fortune, in order to em¬ 
brace it. It is said that he wished to flee from 
Geneva, but the Protestants kept such sure guard 
about him until the end that, enslaved to these 
sectaries, he died without daring to abjure heresy. 

Yet the visits of Francis to Geneva were not lost 
for every one. Having learned that a Catholic was 
dying in the house of a Calvinist, the apostle at once 
went there and, having sent every one out of the 
sick man’s room, he heard his confession and gave 
him the Holy Viaticum, which he had brought with 
him. He left the patient comforted and ready for 
death. 


39 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


Another soul was also to benefit by these journeys. 
At the inn where Francis stayed there lived, in the 
humble capacity of servant, a poor country girl, 
named Jacqueline Coste, whom God destined to 
become one day one of the first daughters of Saint 
Francis, in the future Order of the Visitation. 
Every Sunday Jacqueline went to Mass, at a village 
on the outskirts of the city, because in Geneva itself 
the practice of Catholic worship was severely pros¬ 
cribed. Here, as in all places where the Reform 
ruled, the first article of the code of religious liberty 
inaugurated by Protestantism, was to make the 
celebration of the Holy Sacrifice a crime punishable 
with death. 

As soon as Francis had retired to his room, Jacque¬ 
line who recognized him as a Catholic priest, pre¬ 
sented herself; he received her with kindness, heard 
her confession, and during the night gave her Holy 
Communion. As she asked him ingenuously: 
“What will you do, Father? You have no server 
to assist you ; ” he answered with a sweet smile : 
“ My daughter, do not be troubled; our angels who 
are here present will take the place of servers. It is 
their function to pray around the Blessed Sacra- 
40 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


ment.” He left this poor, pious girl quite happy 
and strengthened and he himself carried away from 
this interview the foreknowledge that, later, he 
would find in her a helper in the accomplishment 
of the Will of God. 

On returning to Thonon, Francis obtained from 
his Bishop three zealous priests to labor with him in 
evangelizing the Chablais. They immediately went 
to work and reaped abundant fruits in the harvest, 
which had been planted and prepared by Francis. 
One of their first thoughts was to celebrate with all 
possible solemnity the ceremony of the Forty Hours, 
in the town of Annemasse, three miles from Geneva. 
On the day fixed, Francis went thither preceded by 
the faithful Rolland, who carried the Cross, and 
followed by a crowd of Catholics, whose number 
increased at every village through which they 
passed. The processions were continued for three 
days, and ended only with the solemnity itself. 

The erection of the Cross, which terminated the 
ceremonies, was still more touching. At the mo¬ 
ment when the sacred Sign of salvation, borne by 
the Penitents of Annecy, was raised in the air and 
fastened in the ground opposite heretical Geneva, a 
4i 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


thrill passed through the throng, which did not num¬ 
ber fewer than thirty thousand Catholics. The 
Protestants, scattered among the crowd, said to one 
another, with tears : “ God is here; we have never 
seen anything like it.” Several were converted ; 
many were staggered in their belief, and a number 
of the Protestant ministers of Thonon and its vicinity, 
giving up their struggle against the general enthu¬ 
siasm and the Catholic missionaries, left the country. 

Shortly after, Francis having gone to Annecy to 
settle various matters, found the whole country in 
consternation. A fatal and contagious disease had 
broken out alarmingly, and daily made new victims. 
Instead of taking the rest he so much needed, the 
holy priest struggled with all his might against the 
scourge. Night and day, he visited the sick, cared 
for them with his own hands, comforted them, and 
prepared them for death. His health, already im¬ 
paired by the unheard of fatigues of his apostolate, 
could not withstand the strain, and on the fourth 
of January, 1598, he was stricken by a malady, 
which, in a few hours, led him to the gates of death. 
Monseigneur de Granier, afflicted at the threatened 
loss of Francis, whom he considered as his right 
42 





LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


arm, united with the whole city in offering prayers 
to God for the cure of the sick priest. Heaven 
allowed itself to be moved to piety and the patient 
suddenly recovered health. 

Francis profited by it to return at once to Thonon, 
where the grace of God was working wonders, 
Father Humaeus of the Society of Jesus, unaided, 
having in six months converted ten thousand here¬ 
tics. The most notable conversion was that of a 
gentleman named Bouvier, whom a strange incident 
had brought into communication with our Saint. 
One day, when he was hunting in the woods of the 
Chablais, his dogs returned to him ; advancing to the 
edge of the wood, he saw Francis speaking to a 
throng of peasants. The discourse of this unknown 
man, his faith and zeal deeply affected Mr. Bouvier; 
having asked the name of the saint, he went to con¬ 
fer with him and made his public abjuration in the 
hands of Francis. 

It was to this true Apostle that reverted, in the 
sight of God and man, the merit and the honor of 
all these conversions. A striking miracle, worked 
through his intercession, put the seal to his reputa¬ 
tion for sanctity. In one of the suburbs of Thonon 
43 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


lived a Protestant lady who, up to that time, had in 
spite of everything remained firmly attached to 
Calvin. She gave birth to a child, whom she neg¬ 
lected to have baptized and who died shortly after 
its birth. The poor mother, distracted with grief, 
wished herself to carry her son to the cemetery and 
bury him. On her way, she suddenly saw Francis 
and running toward him, exclaimed : “ Father, give 
me back my child, at least long enough to be bap¬ 
tized, and I will become a Catholic.” Francis fell 
on his knees and prayed. Hardly was the prayer 
ended, when the child opened his eyes, moved his 
limbs, and returned to life. The mother, almost 
crazy with joy, immediately had him baptized by 
the Saint, who was surrounded by an immense crowd 
and shortly after, she and her whole family were 
converted. 

The duke of Savoy had attached great importance 
to coming in person to the Chablais to organize the 
Catholic religion and punish its former persecutors. 
At the entreaties of Monseigneur de Granier and of 
Francis, who pleaded the cause of the guilty and 
especially of the members of the consistory, he gave 
up the idea of punishing them. So much clemency 
44 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES, 


completely won all hearts ; thirty thousand souls re¬ 
turned to the Roman Church, the work of the 
Apostle was accomplished, God called him to other 
labors. 


CHAPTER FIFTH. 

FRANCIS BECOMES COADJUTOR, THEN BISHOP. 

MEANWHILE, Monseigneur de Granier, exhausted 
by fatigues and weighed down by infirmities, resolved 
to take Francis as coadjutor, with right of succession 
to the See of Geneva. At the first words of the 
holy Bishop on this subject, Francis, in fear and 
dismay, declared himself incapable of fulfilling the 
charge and obstinately refused it. Monseigneur de 
Granier then deputed his chaplain to intimate to 
Francis the formal order to accept it, and thus he 
was compelled to yield. The joy of the entire 
diocese was immense, but it did not last long, as a 
malignant fever attacked the Saint and brought him 
to the verge of the grave. At the very hour when 
the city of Annecy awaited with consternation the 
news of his death, God, for the third time, suddenly 
restored him to health. Scarcely had he recovered, 
45 




LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


when he set off for Rome, in order to regulate diverse 
affairs. The Holy Father, Clement the Eighth, mani¬ 
fested the greatest consideration for him and wished 
himself to preside at the examination then required 
of Bishops. Francis excited the admiration of this 
great Pope, of Baronius, Bellarmine, Cardinal Bor- 
romeo and other theologians, who questioned him, 
and, at the conclusion of the examination, Clement 
the Eighth, descending from his throne, embraced 
the holy Bishop elect and said in a loud voice: 
“ Drink , my son , water out of thy own cistern and the 
streams of thy own well; let thy fountains be conveyed 
abroad , and in the streets , divide thy waters .”—(Prov. 
v. 15, 16.) He returned to Annecy with the title 
of Bishop of Nicopolis, but his humility made him 
postpone the ceremony of his episcopal consecration. 

Some months later, Francis went out to meet 
Henry the Fourth, who had come to declare war 
against the duke of Savoy. The benevolence and 
the respect of the king were such, that the duke’s 
envoy at once obtained peace and afterwards, in spite 
of the efforts of the Protestants, all that he requested 
for the maintenance of the Catholic religion in the 
Chablais. 


46 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


Shortly after his return to Annecy, Francis was 
summoned to the castle of Sales, where M. de Boisy, 
his father, lay seriously ill. After having consoled 
and fortified him for the last journey, our Saint re¬ 
turned to preach the Lent, which he had already 
begun ; it was at the beginning of one of his sermons, 
that he was apprised of the death of the brave old 
warrior. At the end, he said these words : “ Gentle¬ 
men, just as I came into this pulpit, I heard of the 
death of him, to whom I owe most on earth. My 
father, your friend, is dead. You were good enough 
to love him here, and I beseech you now to pray for 
the repose of his soul and not to take it amiss, if I 
absent myself for a few days, in order to render him 
the last duties.” Then a torrent of tears rushed from 
his eyes and he left the pulpit, followed by a sympa¬ 
thetic murmur. 

The course of sermons completed, the Saint, at the 
request of his Bishop, started for Paris, to plead with 
the king the cause of the freedom of Catholic wor¬ 
ship in the country of Gex. Henry the Fourth, more 
and more impressed by the sanctity of the Apostle, 
granted him all that he asked, and when Francis re¬ 
fused an important bishopric and royal favors, the 
47 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


monarch said to him: “ Your modesty places you 
above me ; I believe myself to be above those who 
intrigue for my favors, but I am beneath those who 
refuse them.” 

While Francis was returning to his dear diocese, 
Monseigneur Claude de Granier died, and our Saint 
was at last obliged to decide on the acceptance of 
the entire episcopal ministry, whose honors he had 
hitherto shunned. A miraculous event marked the 
ceremony of his consecration: as he was kneeling 
before the consecrating prelate, his countenance 
became illumined ; he clearly saw the Holy Trinity, 
and each of the Three Divine Persons gave him a 
special blessing, while the Blessed Virgin, Saint 
Peter and Saint Paul, also visible to his eyes, took 
him under their protection. 

The fervor and piety of Francis were greatly in¬ 
creased by his consecration and the new bishop, 
resolved to devote himself without reserve to the 
service of God, commenced by organizing every¬ 
where the work of catechising, which he considered 
of the utmost importance. In order to preach by 
example, he himself gave catechism lessons to 
the children of his episcopal city, deeming it his 
48 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


duty to teach them, with the principles of our holy 
Faith, the first virtues of childhood and youth. 
Children all loved him, says one of his biographers, 
and flocked about him for a smile or a blessing, and 
sometimes, when they had had both, would slip on 
ahead to catch him and have them over again. One 
day, when he was visiting a community, he left the 
parlor door open, “ Monseigneur,” said a Sister, “ the 
draught must inconvenience you.” He got up and 
went to shut the door, but returned to his seat, 
leaving it open. “There are so many little children 
peeping at me, through it,” he explained, “ that I 
have not the courage to shut it in their faces.” Be¬ 
sides the catechism, the new bishop instituted synods 
or official meetings for his priests, which permitted 
him to know them better, and which prompted them 
to give themselves more actively to study. 

In the year 1603, Francis, having been invited to 
preach the Lent at Dijon, consented, after taking the 
advice of the Pope and the duke of Savoy. Before 
going there, he wished to make a retreat at the 
castle of Sales, during which, under divine inspira¬ 
tion, he saw in spirit the Baroness Jane Frances 
Fremiot de Chantal who, later, under his direction, 
4 49 




LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


was to be the instrument of Providence, in leading 
numberless souls to sanctity. One of the objects of 
the holy Bishop’s coming to Dijon was the settlement 
of various difficulties, concerning his diocese, with 
the young Archbishop Andrew Fremiot, Madame 
de Chantal’s brother. Having succeeded in this, the 
Saint gave himself up to preaching, with his accus¬ 
tomed zeal. The people thronged about his pulpit, 
and among them Madame de Chantal, a widow. 
Afterwards, meeting Francis at her brother’s table, 
she confided to him the direction of her life and 
contracted with him one of the tenderest and most 
angelic friendships ever known. 

Madame de Chantal, then aged thirty-two, had 
been the model of wives, during her short married 
life of eight years with the brave and pious Baron de 
Chantal. The Baron, being accidentally killed at the 
hunt, by one of his friends, the young widow had 
consecrated her life to the poor and to her children. 

Desirous to fit this elect soul for the designs of 
God, which, without knowing, he already divined, 
Francis by his letters raised Madame de Chantal to 
the most enlightened piety. Yet while he endeav¬ 
ored in recollection and prayer to prepare the way 
50 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


for the Order, with which God willed, by his means, 
to adorn His Church on earth and His Church in 
Heaven, he took care not to neglect any of the 
works of his diocese. Loved by all, he was prodigal 
of himself to all. The poor found in him the surest 
and most faithful support, sinners the most wonder¬ 
ful clemency. All his efforts tended to gain to God 
the souls confided to his fatherly care. The gift of 
prophecy often rendered luminous his spiritual direc¬ 
tion, and his penetration of the secrets of hearts 
gradually drew his penitents to more ardent love of 
God. 

To his many arduous labors, were added pastoral 
visitations, which, until his death, he accomplished 
with perfect exactitude and unbounded charity. 
Francis cured publicly more than eighty persons, 
possessed by the devil, and his kindness towards the 
sick, whom he took pleasure in visiting and often in 
caring for in person, was at times carried so far as to 
obtain of God great miracles of healing. 


51 



CHAPTER SIXTH. 


FRANCIS PREACHES THE LENT AT CHAMBERY. 

DEATH OF HIS MOTHER, M. DE DEAGE AND 

HENRY THE FOURTH. 

Many other wonders followed in the footsteps of 
this true servant of God. During the Lent of 1606, 
which Francis preached at Chambery, in presence of 
the Senate and an immense congregation, one day, 
when his theme was the love of God, his words be¬ 
came so ardent and impetuous, his face so radiant, 
that one would have said that he saw unveiled the 
divine Majesty. At the same moment, a Crucifix 
hanging on the wall opposite the pulpit, darted upon 
him rays of glory. The people listened with respect 
to the words of him whose sanctity was proclaimed 
by such a prodigy. Before leaving Chambery, 
Francis conferred Holy Orders on a hundred eccle¬ 
siastics, whom he himself had prepared with the most 
fatherly interest. 


52 


LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


On returning to Annecy, the Bishop found the 
city in terror and consternation, the heretics of 
Geneva were coming to attack it. Francis was 
urged to flee, but he refused, wishing to share the 
peril that threatened his flock, whose courage his 
presence alone sufficed to restore. One Sunday 
when Vespers were about to begin, the enemy ap¬ 
peared, close to the walls of the city. Francis, un¬ 
troubled, went to Vespers, and his prayers, more 
powerful than an army, sufficed to avert the danger; 
the Protestants, changing their minds at the last 
moment, retraced their steps. 

His courage, drawn from divine sources, some¬ 
times seemed to amount to rashness. Having re¬ 
ceived from Henry the Fourth the order to go to 
Gex, to confer with the Lieutenant-General on the 
measures concerning the exercise of worship, he 
immediately set out. But the Rhone having, in 
consequence of a freshet, become impassable, it was 
necessary to cross the bridge at Geneva. Francis did 
not hesitate. “ Let us go,” he said, “ under the 
protection of God.” On arriving at the gate of 
Geneva, his followers were asked what lord they 
accompanied. “ The Bishop of the Diocese,” was the 
53 




LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


answer. The official, not knowing what the word 
diocese meant, allowed him to pass. Francis and his 
suite thus traversed the city, in which, if he had 
been captured, certain death awaited him. Great 
were the spite and rage of the Calvinists, when in¬ 
formed of this heroic act; they declared that if 
Francis came again, they would have his head cut 
off upon the Place du Molard, where upon one occa¬ 
sion he had in a conference convicted their ministers 
of lying and heresy. 

In the midst of all these apostolic labors, Francis 
did not forget literature and the sciences and estab¬ 
lished at Annecy an Academy of Philosophy, Theol¬ 
ogy and Literature, under the title of the Florimon- 
tane Academy. The reputation of this home of 
learning, composed of forty members, as was also 
the French Academy, to which it served as model in 
many points, soon spread throughout Savoy, and we 
may say of Saint Francis of Sales that he was as 
much for his style, as for the formation of this 
academy, one of the Fathers of French literature. 

His acquaintance with beautiful language and the 
infinite charm of expression, observable in the letters 
of the Saint, are especially remarkable in the two 
54 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


admirable books which he has left us and which are 
handed down through the centuries as undying 
monuments of his virtue and learning : The Treatise 
of the Love of God , composed in the latter years of 
his life, and the Introduction to a Devout Life , the 
first to come forth from his busy pen. The latter is, 
next to the Imitation , the most beautiful book that 
ever issued from the hand of man. It was at the 
request of his best friends and the unceasing en¬ 
treaties of Henry the Fourth, who had become, what¬ 
ever may be said to the contrary, a Christian in con¬ 
viction and practice, that this book was written. 
The sensation it caused was immense and the good 
it did, still greater. Popes, Cardinals, Bishops and 
Christian Princes, made it their inseparable compan¬ 
ion, from which, with the humblest of the faithful, 
they derived the knowledge to serve God and the 
courage to love Him. The celebrity acquired by 
this book afflicted the Saint, who sought only to 
humble himself. “ I would wish you to know me 
well,” he wrote to Madame deChantal; “you would 
esteem me but little. You would say : ‘ There is 

a trunk, upon which God wishes me to lean and yet 
this trunk is good for nothing.' ” Another time he 
55 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


said : “ The waters of grace flow only into humble 

souls and leave high and dry the tops of the moun¬ 
tains, that is to say, proud and haughty souls.” 
Such were the admirable humility and simplicity of 
this wholly divine man, in whom the genius equalled 
the holiness. 

If Francis sought God and loved him in all things, 
he especially blessed His paternal Hand in the trials 
sent him. In the year 1610, repeated and terrible 
blows were dealt out to the holy Bishop, without his 
losing his serenity in the midst of suffering the most 
painful to his loving heart. Madame de Boisy, his 
mother, was approaching the term of her life. 
Prompted by a secret presentiment, she had come to 
Annecy, to make under the direction of her son, a 
retreat of a month in preparation for death. Scarcely 
had she returned to her castle of Sales, when she 
was stricken with apoplexy. Francis went to her at 
once, and the saintly mother, recognizing her son, took 
his hand, which she kissed reverently, saying : “ I 
owe you this token of respect, as my father,” then 
she kissed him on the forehead, saying: “ I owe you 
this mark of tenderness, as my son.” In his own 
inimitable way, Francis wrote to Saint Chantal the 

56 




LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


story of the end : “ She lay in the same state two 

days and a half ; after that, nothing seemed to rouse 
her, and on the first of March, she gave up her soul 
to our Lord gently, peaceably and with a composure 
and greater beauty than she had, perhaps, ever had ; 
in death itself, I have seen few remain so beautiful. 
And as for the rest, I must tell you I had the cour- 
age to give her the last blessing and close her eyes 
and lips and give her the kiss of peace, at the mo¬ 
ment she passed away. After which, my heart was 
very full, and I wept over that good Mother more 
than I have wept since I went into the Church.” 

Francis was still weeping for his mother, when he 
lost Mr. Deage, his tutor and friend, who expired in 
his arms. The master had never ceased to reprove 
the pupil, when occasions presented themselves, and 
the ever humble pupil had never ceased to hearken 
to the advice of the master. 

Finally, the tragic death of Henry the Fourth 
filled up the measure, which made this year of 1610 
the most sorrowful in the life of Francis. His affec¬ 
tion, admiration and gratitude for thisgreat monarch 
had long assured to the King of France a large place 
in the heart of the holy Bishop. 

57 . 



CHAPTER SEVENTH. 


ORGANIZATION OF THE ORDER OF THE VISITATION 

(1610) 

God, who loves His Saints, sends them both 
crosses and consolations and both are pledges of His 
love. It was that very year 1610, so filled with af¬ 
flictions, that gave rise to the Order of the Religious 
of the Visitation. Francis who, since his meeting 
with Madame de Chantal at Dijon, had been for this 
purpose forming with care the soul of the Saint, bade 
her come to him about Pentecost, and said to her: 
“ God destines you to establish an Order in which will 
preside the charity and meekness of Jesus Christ, 
into which shall be admitted the weak and the infirm 
and which shall be employed in caring for the sick 
and in visiting the poor.” “ Father,” answered Saint 
Chantal, “ I am ready to obey.” As we see, Saint 
Francis thought of making the aim of his new Order, 
one of charity, but God, who reserved this glory for 
53 


LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


Saint Vincent de Paul, ordained otherwise, and the 
Order of the Visitation was to correspond to other 
needs. 

The preceding year, Madame deChantal had con¬ 
fided to her father, President Fr£miot, her desire to 
consecrate herself to God. The Baron of Thorens, 
brother of Francis, being about to marry the eldest 
daughter of the holy widow, furnished the occasion 
of seeing Francis, and the President wished to confer 
with him. After the Bishop of Geneva had affirmed 
and clearly shown that such was the will of God, 
Madame de ChantaPs father and brother gave their 
consent, and having made the family arrangements 
for the children, necessitated by the new position of 
the mother, the departure of the latter was fixed 
for the end of November. A fresh delay, then de¬ 
manded by President Fr£miot, caused her departure 
to be deferred until the Easter feasts of the follow¬ 
ing year, 1610. 

God’s hour always strikes ; men may retard it, but, 
even so, it comes at the moment marked by Provi¬ 
dence. The history of human sorrow records few 
more touching scenes than that of this parting. The 
whole family had assembled at the house of Presi- 
59 




LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


dent Fr6miot, when the father, overcome by his 
feelings, abruptly left the room, to give free vent to 
his grief. The Baroness herself, her face bathed in 
tears, was a prey to the strongest emotion. Her son 
Celse Benigne, who loved her with an ardent and 
passionate affection, threw himself at her feet and, 
calling her by the sweetest names, besought her with 
sobs to renounce her project. Almost overcome by 
her sorrow, but strong in her faith in Him who de¬ 
manded the sacrifice, the mother pressed her child 
in her arms, explaining to him the reason of her de¬ 
parture, but the youth would not be appeased. 

As if exhausted of strength, Madame de Chantal 
was leaving the room, Celse Benigne threw himself 
on the ground, across the doorway : “ As I cannot 
persuade you/’ he exclaimed, “ at least it shall be 
said that you trod your child underfoot ! ” At this 
cry, in presence of this action, the holy woman 
stopped for a moment, raised to Heaven her eyes 
streaming with tears and giving a sigh, which echoed 
in the very depths of the hearts of all present, she 
passed over the body of her son, then stood motion¬ 
less at the door, fainting with sorrow and, as it were, 
overcome by her own victory. 

60 







LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


The sacrifice was consummated! Madame de 
Chantal, accompanied by her daughters and other 
relatives, arrived at Annecy, where Francis was wait¬ 
ing to receive her. He came out to meet her, with 
several persons of high rank. On the sixth of June, 
1610, Jane Frances Fremiot de Chantal and her two 
companions, Mademoiselle de Br£chard and Made¬ 
moiselle Favre, having stripped themselves of all 
their worldly possessions, entered the little house, 
that had been made ready for them. The next morn¬ 
ing, the saintly Bishop gave them Holy Communion 
and addressed to them words, which seemed to have 
fallen from Heaven, then, having blessed them, he 
left them with their God. The three favored souls 
began their noviciate at once and, during the first 
year, ten new Sisters came to increase the number 
of the novices. 

On the sixth of June, 1611, Madame de Chantal 
and her first companions pronounced their Vows, 
then immediately occupied themselves with the 
service of the poor and the sick, as Francis first in¬ 
tended. Five weeks later, Mother de Chantal was 
cruelly afflicted by the death of her father, President 
Fremiot. By the order of Francis, she had to go 
61 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


and put in order the affairs of her children, which 
she did with great wisdom, then she returned to her 
Sisters, to resume the service of the poor. 

Soon, exhausted with fatigue, she fell ill, but the 
Bishop cured her immediately by applying to her the 
relics of Saint Blaise. A more serious relapse having 
supervened, the holy Bishop, seeing the danger, 
again appealed to the mercy of God and put into a 
potion given the patient, a little dust of the relics 
of Saint Charles Borromeo and made a vow that, 
if Mother de Chantal recovered, he would go in 
pilgrimage to the tomb of the Saint at Milan. 
The Mother was at once restored to perfect 
health. 

The “ good odor” of the Visitation was diffused 
so far abroad that, at the request of the Cardinal de 
Marquemont, Archbishop of Lyons, Francis con¬ 
sented to found its second house in that city. This 
was the signal for an important transformation. 
Acting on the advice and in compliance with the 
formal demand of the Cardinal, Francis modified the 
Constitutions of the Congregation, and made it hence¬ 
forth a cloistered and contemplative Order, with 
solemn Vows, entirely animated by a spirit of meek- 
62 




LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


ness, love and sweetness, having few bodily austeri¬ 
ties, but demanding absolute mortification of heart 
and will. Ornsby, one of our Saint’s historians, 
says : “ It came upon the world like an original and 
fertile discovery that the mortification of the will 
may be turned to as great and even more extensive 
account, than the mortification of the body. Very 
few constitutions indeed could sustain the tremen¬ 
dous discipline of the Cistercian fast; and, in our own 
times, we believe it has been ascertained that, out of 
a community, consisting of twenty or thirty, there 
are scarce six who are not obliged to avail them¬ 
selves of dispensations. No dispensation is required 
in a system, which is based on the mortification of 
the will. In such a system the most delicate can be 
as perfect as the strongest; corporal mortifications 
must, moreover, in every case, arrive at a speedy 
limit, whilst the occasions of every moment of con¬ 
scious existence might, if required, be turned into 
mortifications of the will.” The “ Spiritual Enter¬ 
tainments" of the Saint with his daughters have 
been preserved ; therein, we read on every page the 
double aim of the holy Founder, love of God and 
detachment from self. 


63 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


It was on the ninth of October, in the year 1618, 
in virtue of a bull from Pope Paul the Fifth, that 
the institute was erected into a regular monastic 
order, with enclosure and under solemn Vows. 


CHAPTER EIGHTH. 

VARIOUS INCIDENTS OF THE SAINT’S LATER YEARS. 

NOT only by his words, but still more by his ex¬ 
ample, did Francis inculcate that detachment from 
self, with which he strove to inspire his daughters. 
Sermons, confessions, visits to the poor, the con¬ 
version of heretics, continual journeys in his diocese 
and the formation of priests, were duties faithfully 
fulfilled and, as Francis himself said, “ without ever 
being hurried.” 

One of his first cares was to accomplish his vow, 
by going to Milan to pray at the tomb of Saint 
Charles Borromeo, thence he went to Turin to 
venerate the Holy Winding Sheet and then returned 
to Annecy. As Francis was celebrating Pontifical 
Mass on the feast of Pentecost, a dove flew from 
the vault of the Church and rested on his head ; the 
64 




LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


same prodigy was renewed on the feast of the 
Nativity ; and the people, struck by the virtue of the 
prelate, saw in these extraordinary incidents proofs 
of the holiness that Francis in vain endeavored to 
conceal from all eyes. 

Hardly a day passed that the holy Bishop did not 
convert some heretic, or some great sinner. His 
glance, his demeanor, his words, touched the most 
hardened hearts. He not only saved souls, but 
cured bodies and expelled demons, whom his bless¬ 
ing put to flight. One day, when several sick persons 
had been brought to him, at the bishop’s house, 
faithful Rolland asked him to cure them. The 
Saint answered with a smile: “ I am delighted to 
have George Rolland teach me to work miracles,” 
then he prayed over them and healed them, as he 
blessed them. 

However, this power over demonsand sinful souls, 
sometimes met with an invincible obstacle in the bad 
dispositions of these souls. A lawyer of Geneva had 
sworn implacable hatred to the Saint and, on every 
occasion, poured forth invectives and calumnies 
against him. Meeting this man, one day, Francis 
approached him and said : “You wish me evil and 




LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


yet, if you tore out one of my eyes, I would not fail 
to look at you affectionately with the other.” Such 
meekness did not disarm this enemy, who went so 
far as to fire pistol shots, at night, through the 
windows of the Bishop’s house and to wound the 
Vicar General with the thrust of a sword. Arrested 
and condemned to death the lawyer was about to be 
executed, when Francis by entreaties obtained his 
pardon. This he carried to the criminal in his 
prison-cell, where, kneeling down, he asked for¬ 
giveness for the offence he had unknowingly com¬ 
mitted against him. This prodigy of charity did 
not touch the wretch who, shortly after, died miser¬ 
able and impenitent. 

The admirable charity which the holy Bishop 
evinced toward his enemies, extended to all those 
who surrounded him; his servants, the poor, the 
lowly, and especially sinners, had a large share in 
that inexhaustible goodness, so full of tenderness 
and graciousness. Once, when a young man was 
brought to him to be reprimanded, Francis did it 
with so much gentleness, that some persons blamed j 
him for it: “ What will you ? ” he replied “ I did 
what I could to arm myself with an anger that sins 
66 





LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


not; I took my heart in both hands and I had not 
the courage to throw it at his head. Then, too, I 
feared to spill in a quarter of an hour the spirit of 
meekness, which for twenty-two years, I have been 
trying to collect as dew, in the vase of my heart.” 

The Saint’s kindness to the poor seemed to in¬ 
crease from year to year, with his gentle dignity 
and many eminent virtues. All the money that he 
possessed, his personal resources, even the candle¬ 
sticks belonging to his chapel, all were given to the 
needy, in spite of the protestations of his servants. 
One day, when it was intensely cold, Francis saw 
enter his room a man so poorly clothed, that he was 
shivering. Touched with compassion, the Bishop, 
finding nothing in his wardrobe, took off the gar¬ 
ments that he wore under his soutane and gave 
them to this poor man, taking good care not to tell 
his attendants, so that, until evening, Francis re¬ 
mained exposed to the cold, from which he had pre¬ 
served his visitor. 

Knowing that the priest lives by the altar, the 
Bishop of Geneva received with simplicity the little 
presents that the villagers offered him for the serv¬ 
ices of his ministry, chestnuts, fruits, eggs, cheese. 
67 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


Francis gave to the poor whatever money he received, 
but wished that all these things should be served at 
his table, joyously repeating these words of Scrip¬ 
ture : “ You are happy to eat the fruit of your toil.” 
He did more than give his money, he gave himself, 
being prodigal of his time, health, heart, and sparing 
nothing, when there was question of the service of 
God and souls. His brother John Francis reproached 
him, on one occasion, with having granted too long 
an audience to a poor servant, who came to see 
him. “ Do you not know,” the gentle Saint said to 
his brother, “ that bishops are like those large public 
drinking-fountains, from which every one has a 
right to draw and whither, not men only, but even 
beasts, come to quench their thirst.” In fine, to 
resume the life of our Saint, we will borrow the 
words of Saint Vincent of Paul, which so well ex¬ 
pressed the unanimous opinion of the people : “ What 
then art Thou, O my God? since the Bishop of 
Geneva, who is but a man, is so good ! ” 

It was at Paris, to which Francis had gone to 
treat of the marriage of the Prince of Piedmont 
with the Princess Christine of France, that Saint 
Vincent of Paul saw and learned to esteem the holy 
68 




LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


Bishop. It was on this occasion that Francis in¬ 
trusted to Saint Vincent the direction of the commu¬ 
nity of the Visitation, that he had just established 
at Paris. Francis was accustomed to say that the 
saintly Founder of the Fathers of the Mission and 
the Sisters of Charity, was “ the worthiest priest he 
had ever known,” while M. Vincent, as he was 
called, asserted that the meekness, modesty, majesty, 
of Francis strongly retraced the image of the Son of 
God, conversing among men, and that he knew no 
one so capable of winning hearts for God. 


CHAPTER NINTH. 

DEATH OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 

Notwithstanding the great efforts made to re¬ 
tain him in France, Francis, as soon as the marriage 
was concluded, hastened to return to his dear 
diocese, which he was soon again to leave for new 
journeys to Pignerol and Turin, and, finally, for a 
last one to Lyons, where he was to die. By divine 
inspiration, he knew that death awaited him at the 
end of his voyage and, after having regulated all 
69 




LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


the affairs of his diocese with John Francis of Sales, 
his coadjutor and brother, he set off, surrounded by 
all the £lite of the city, who wept over the departure 
of him, whom they were never again to meet in this 
world. From Avignon, to which he went directly, 
he traveled on to Lyons, with the king, Louis the 
Thirteenth, and the Duke of Savoy. Here, in spite 
of the many offers of hospitality made him by the 
great and noble, Francis took up his abode at 
the Convent of the Visitation,in a poor room of the 
gardener’s house. 

Saint Chantal, who was then visiting the Mon¬ 
asteries of her Order, reached Lyons almost at 
the same time. For three years she had not seen 
the saintly friend and director of her soul, but the 
four hours during which she conversed with him were 
given not to her spiritual concerns, but to the affairs 
of the Institute they loved so well. She received,, 
as those of God Himself, the instructions, which 
Were to be the last of the holy Bishop. 

Mother de Chantal then resumed the course of 
her visits and the Saint, on his side, was about to 
leave the city of Lyons, which he had edified by his 
gentle virtues and extraordinary sanctity. Among 




70 





LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


other predictions made at this time, Francis an¬ 
nounced to Madame Olier that her son would, one 
day, be one of the glories of the Church of France. 
It was on the twenty-seventh of December, 1622, 
about two o’clock in the afternoon, that the holy 
Bishop was suddenly stricken with apoplexy. 
Every means that medical science could suggest was 
employed to prolong his valuable life, but Francis, 
knowing that the hour of recompense had struck, 
prepared for death with the greatest calmness re¬ 
ceived Extreme Unction, and awaited in unbroken 
peace, the summons to his heavenly Home. 

Until the end, the gentle Saint did not cease to 
console those who surrounded him, blessing them and 
exhorting them to submit to the divine Will. On 
the twenty-eighth of December, as night approached, 
the last word he was heard to utter was the Name of 
“ Jesus.” Silence followed and then, while those 
about him invoked the Holy Innocents, he died. 

“ The simplicity of this gentle death is nothing 
more than the universal law of cause and effect. If 
a stormy, erratic life closes in a violent reaction against 
death, or an agonized effort to make up the task of a 
life-time, in the little space of the eleventh hour, it is 
7i 





LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


again effect produced by cause. But in a life, like the 
one we have just studied, the death, for which 
the life prepared, is the more beautiful, because the 
life and death are alike ; the latter only the continua¬ 
tion, the complement of the former, and the last 
temporal moments are in fact only a perfect double 
chord, striking the harmony of a holy past and the 
key-note of an eternal future/’ 

From the moment of his death, there commenced 
a public devotion to Francis of Sales, which God Him¬ 
self favored by innumerable miracles. The holy body 
was taken to Annecy, where it still lies. Ten years 
later, when the coffin was opened in the presence of 
Saint Chantal and the commissaries of the Pope, 
the body was found as fresh and entire as at the 
instant, when the soul quitted it for Heaven. Saint 
Chantal, taking the Saint’s hand, laid it upon her 
head and, tradition says, the hand becoming ani¬ 
mated, pressed her head, as with a fatherly caress. 

The earnest and repeated petitions of the Bishops 
hastened the canonization, which took place on the 
nineteenth of August, 1665, and, since then, Chris¬ 
tian youth venerate as the patron of students the 
illustrious Bishop, who carried to such a high de- 
72 






LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


gree the knowledge that makes men and the science 
that makes saints. 

The influence of the virtues and works of Saint 
Francis of Sales, proclaimed Doctor of the Church 
in 1877, still beams forth, as on the day of the death 
of this illustrious Confessor. Our young readers 
may wonder why he was declared Doctor of Piety, 
when already canonized a Saint ? and what is required 
that a Saint may receive the added lustre of the Doctor¬ 
ate ? . . . Three conditions are required for a Saint 
to be proclaimed a Doctor of the Church : profound 
learning, supereminent sanctity, and a Decree of the 
Sovereign Pontiff, or a General Council. Saint Francis 
of Sales was, by his profound learning, the light of 
heretics, to bring them back to the unity of the faith ; 
by his supereminent sanctity, the light of Christians, 
to show them the paths of perfection; and the 
light of Pastors, to guide them in their noble 
mission. 

The spirit of Saint Francis of Sales lives after 
him “ in those admirable Daughters of the Order of 
the Visitation, whose Convents rise from earth to 
Heaven, as so many living columns of prayer and 
penance, to ward off the divine anger, ready to burst 
73 



LIFE OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 


upon guilty man, and animates also many associa¬ 
tions that claim him as their Founder or Patron. 

The Association of Saint Francis of Sales, estab¬ 
lished by Monseigneur de S6gur, is one of those 
which best corresponds to the religious needs of 
modern society. To preserve, defend, support, and 
revive faith, wherever it is threatened, is the object 
of this work. In 1857, France saw springing up the 
little shoot, which has developed into the vigorous 
branch, extending over the entire country. More 
than one million five hundred thousand members 
participate in its action, and contribute, by their an¬ 
nual subscription, to found, support and develop 
free schools, works of Christian education, refuges for 
youths, parochial libraries, missions and popular 
retreats. 

The good done by the Work of Saint Francis of 
Sales is immense, and is continually increasing. May 
it increase still more and, under the patronage of the 
Conqueror of Heresy, lead back to God and His 
Church those who despise them, and attract to the 
truth those still greater numbers who know it 
not! 


74 





LIFE OF SAINT JANE FRANCES 
FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 





LIFE OF SAINT JANE FRANCES 
FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


CHAPTER FIRST. 

GIRLHOOD AND MARRIAGE. I 572—1595. 

In a rambling old house on one of the principal 
streets of Dijon, a Burgundian town, on January 
twenty-third, 1572, there was born to Benigne Fr£- 
miot, the President of the Parliament, and his wife, 
Margaret de Berbisy, a second daughter, whom her 
father insisted on having carried at once to the parish 
church to be baptized. As it was the feast of Saint 
John the Almoner, the infant received the name of 
Jane. When the child was only a year and a half 
old, her young mother, in giving her a little brother, 
was suddenly taken away, and thus her childhood 
was deprived of the perpetual influence of a mother’s 
gentle influence and tender caresses. The little 
77 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


girl’s character was strong, firm, and full of vigor, 
qualities developed by her mother’s loss and her 
close companionship with her father. She was well 
taught and made especial progress in Catechism, 
every article and point of faith being of intense in¬ 
terest to her, from her earliest years. 

The old chronicles give us the following somewhat 
amusing scene: “One day a Calvinist happened to 
be disputing with President Fremiot upon the doc¬ 
trine of the Real Presence ; after listening for some 
time, with great attention, to the argument, Jane, 
not quite five years old, went up to the gentleman, 
with her face all crimson and said: ‘ But, my lord, 
we must believe that Jesus Christ is in the Blessed 
Sacrament, because He Himself said it. If you do 
not believe it, you make Him a liar.’ The gentle¬ 
man looked down at his small adversary in great 
surprise, and after trying in vain in various ways to 
puzzle her, he turned the subject in the way approved 
by custom with children, by giving her a large packet 
of sugar plums. Jane took them gravely into her 
pinafore and walking to the fireplace, threw them 
in, saying : * Look, my lord, that is how heretics will, 
be burned in the fire of hell, because they do not be- 
73 






LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR^MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


lieve what our Lord says.’ Another day, when the 
same gentleman was discussing some other doctrine 
with her father, Jane said to him: ‘ My lord, if you 
were to give the lie to the king, Papa would have 
you hung. And now look ’—and she pointed to a 
large picture of Saints Peter and Paul —‘ you give the 
lie to our Lord so often, that those two presidents 
will have you hung ! ” 

President Fremiot left nothing undone to develop 
the intelligent and brilliant mind of his little daughter 
and make her an accomplished young lady, giving 
her the best education that the times afforded. His 
admirable example also awakened her compassion 
for the poor and the suffering, and she never could 
see a beggar in rags, without shedding tears. 

After her First Communion and Confirmation, 
when Jane took the name of Frances, she felt an 
ardent longing to consecrate herself to God’s service, 
sometimes by devoting herself to the care of the 
poor and the sick, and again, by dying for the faith. 
At this time, the death of her grandfather, John 
Fremiot, known as the “ father of the poor,” gave 
her a deep appreciation of a life of self-sacrifice. 
The following details are given us by the historians 
79 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


of Saint Chantal: “ One day the venerable old man 
called his children and grandchildren round him, like 
the Hebrew patriarchs of old, and told them that his 
span of life was complete and that he was about to 
die. He then caused himself to be set on his mule 
and with the same patriarchal simplicity went to his 
various relations and bade them farewell, saying that 
he was about to depart on his last journey. The 
next day, he sent for a priest to say Mass in a little 
chapel, the altar of which he could see from his bed ; 
made his confession, received Communion and Ex¬ 
treme Unction; and then begged that the Mass 
might begin, as, before the priest took the last ablu¬ 
tion, he should be drinking the new wine with our 
Lord in His eternal kingdom. And so it came to 
pass ; for, just as the priest was elevating the chalice, 
the holy old man lifted up his eyes with a look of 
earnest love and saying: ‘ When wilt thou comfort 
me, O my God?’—he departed, as he had foretold.” 
This death, so beautiful in the eyes of faith, made a 
deep and lasting impression on the mature mind of 
Jane, then fifteen years old. 

Soon afterwards, in 1587, her elder sister Margaret 
married the Lord de Neufchezes des Francs in Poitou, 
80 





LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR^MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


and Jane accompanied her to her new home. Bur¬ 
gundy was at this time a sort of focus of agitation 
and impending civil war. The parliament joined 
the insurgent party, with the single exception of the 
high-souled President, who retired into the country ; 
his house was pillaged, his friends insulted, and his 
young son Andrew carried off to prison. The Pres¬ 
ident, undisturbed, managed to seize Flavigny, a 
mountain fortress, to which he removed the parlia¬ 
ment. Thither the leaguers sent his brother Claude 
to say to him that, if he did not dissolve the royalist 
parliament, they would kill his son and send the 
boy’s head to him in a sack; his noble answer was, 
—“ Better would it be for the child to die innocent, 
than for the father to live in dishonor.” All party 
quarrels were broken up by the assassination of the 
king in 1589, but President Fremiot was so afflicted 
at the news of the crown having passed to a Hugue¬ 
not sovereign, that, in one night, half of his hair be¬ 
came snow-white. As soon as Henry the Fourth had 
declared himself a Catholic, the President returned 
to the seclusion of his home. 

Meanwhile, Jane was in Poitou, where her deep- 
rooted faith, zeal for the spread of Catholic truth, and 
6 81 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


horror of erroneous teaching were strengthened by 
the sad sights that met her view,—broken church 
spires, ruined doorways, fragments of shrines and 
reliquaries strewing the roads, defaced village crosses, 
mutilated statues, and the ashes of burned chapels. 
The pain that these sights gave her was never for¬ 
gotten, and in her old age, tears would again fill 
Saint Chantahs eyes, at the remembrance of the 
desecrated churches and shrines of Poitou. 

Jane Fremiot was now sixteen years old, womanly 
in appearance and manner, and though she met the 
voice and eye of admiration and flattery for the first 
time and was, in some sort, the spoiled child of the 
circle in which her sister lived, she does not seem to 
have suffered from surrounding influences. Her 
special devotion to our Blessed Mother was her safe¬ 
guard against temptation. “ The portrait taken of 
her at that age seems to make a kind of lasting 
protest against the excessive luxury of dress, usual 
at the time, when pearls, chains, rows of gold beads, 
strings of buttons, studs, necklets and armlets, with 
lace and embroidery, almost covered the dress of the 
poor ladies who had to support the load. In this 
portrait, Jane wears a modest, square-cut dress of 
82 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


some dark material, with a chemisette made to the 
throat, and under-sleeves, ruffled at the wrists. Her 
head is covered with a velvet coif and every part of 
the dress is absolutely without ornament/’ 

While with her sister, Jane refused two very 
brilliant offers of marriage, showing a dignity, firm¬ 
ness, and maturity of judgment, which so young a 
girl could only have possessed through the influence 
of solid principles of religion. Another marriage 
was being arranged by her brother-in-law, the Baron 
des Francs, in 1591, when Jane received from her 
father a summons to return home, which she did at 
once, keenly as she felt leaving her sister Margaret, 
from whom she had never been separated. She was 
met, on her arrival at Dijon, by her future husband, 
Christopher de Chantal, with whom President 
Fremiot had become acquainted during the last war 
in support of Henry the Fourth, in which the young 
Baron was marked as a man of courage and unshaken 
loyalty. Civil war was now raging, and as President 
Fremiot had a price set on his head by the insurgents, 
he had left Dijon, and the marriage contract was 
drawn up at a village called Epoisses, and signed at 
Baron de Chantal’s strong castle of Bourbilly, where 

83 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


the marriage was also celebrated, in presence of the 
fathers of the bride and groom, and Jane’s brother- 
in-law, Baron des Francs. It may interest our 
young readers to learn that, by the contract, “ Jane 
was to have two hundred crowns a year to spend, 
with Bourbilly as her dower-house. She was also to 
receive from her husband jewels to the amount of 
six hundred crowns, with a carriage and four horses.” 
Besides this, President Fremiot gave his daughter 
fifty thousand livres, about ten thousand dollars 
of our money, a considerable sum in those days. 

Bourbilly, the dower-house, was a “ beautiful 
picture-like home. The castle was fortified by a 
strong curtain wall and four flanking towers, de¬ 
fended by a broad moat with a drawbridge, to which 
led an avenue of splendid old trees. The little river 
Serain fertilized the breadth of lovely meadows and 
turned several corn mills on its way. Beyond the 
green meadows, sloped vineyards and, in the distance, 
forest was seen stretching for miles, and filling with 
its purple outline all the space to the horizon.” 

Madame de Chantal spent the first three months 
after her marriage in retirement, fervent prayer and 
reflection upon her future life, with continual obedi- 

84 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR&MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


ence and devoted attention to her husband’s wishes, 
then Henry the Fourth summoned the Baron to 
Paris. Before setting out, he explained to his young 
wife the whole state of his affairs, and placed the 
management of the property entirely in her hands, 
as his representative and second self, gently pointing 
out to her that this is the true wife’s duty, in the 
fulfilment of which she could most thoroughly and 
faithfully serve God. 

As soon as the Baron had gone, the young Baron¬ 
ess began her allotted task by re-establishing the 
daily celebration of holy Mass in the castle chapel, 
early enough for even the farm servants to assist at 
it. Then she spent part of each morning, at her 
knitting or spinning, in the midst of her maids, in¬ 
structing them in the truths and practices of religion. 
The farm servants were treated just as kindly, and 
joyfully welcomed their mistress, as she rode over 
some part of the property every day, to see what 
was going on. 

After dinner was over, Madame de Chantal went 
down to the poor who thronged the courtyard, and 
with sweet loving words and the brightest of smiles, 
served them with her own hand. Prisoners confined 

85 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR&MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


for various offences, within the dungeons of the 
castle found in the Baroness a friend who pleaded 
their pardon with her husband, and sometimes took 
them out of the damp, airless hole to sleep in a com¬ 
fortable bed. 

The sorrows that clouded the life of Madame de 
Chantal, at this time, were the death of her sister 
Margaret des Francs and of the first children with 
whom God blessed her union, but later, He com¬ 
forted her by the birth of four others, a boy and 
three girls, who lived to grow up. All that is known 
of their babyhood is that their mother immediately 
offered them to God and consecrated them to our 
Blessed Mother. The young Baroness was the 
centre and guiding spirit of this real Christian home, 
and people were so charmed by her conversation and 
manners, that they overlooked the fact of her bring¬ 
ing her little work-table to the reception rooms. 
Her husband liked society, so Madame de Chantal 
encouraged the visits of the neighboring barons and 
gentry, with whom the mornings were spent hunting 
and shooting. But while providing comfort and re¬ 
creation for her visitors, Madame de Chantal would 
allow no parties or pleasure expeditions on Sundays, 
86 





LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR^MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


that her servants might not be hurried through the 
services of the Church. On holydays, just one-half 
hour before the gentlemen were to start for hunting, 
or shooting, a priest was vested for Mass, so that no 
one need neglect the obligation of hearing it; and on 
Sundays, the hostess sweetly represented to her 
guests how much the example of hearing Mass at 
the parish church, would benefit the peasantry and, 
by her pleasant manners, persuaded even the most 
indifferent to accompany her. Thus did the daughter 
of the Fremiots illustrate the family motto: “Thus 
virtue bears above the stars.” 


CHAPTER SECOND. 

LIFE AT BOURBILLY. BARON DE CHANTAL’S DEATH. 
EARLY WIDOWHOOD. 1595-1602. 

In 1595, the gates of Dijon were opened to the 
triumphal entrance of the troops of Henry the 
Fourth and, ten days later, came the greater pageant 
of the king’s personal entrance. On his departure, 
he took with him the Baron de Chantal. Suddenly 
the king’s party fell upon the Spaniards, who un- 

87 






LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR&MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


aware had crossed the Saone; the Baron was always 
at the king’s side, and once made so brilliant and 
determined a charge, that the Spanish troops broke 
and gave way. That very night, Henry publicly 
acknowledged his obligations, settled a pension for 
life upon De Chantal, and insisted upon the Baron’s 
following him to Paris, but the next thing we hear 
is that he obtained a leave of absence to go to 
Bourbilly. 

It was at Bourbilly that, while silently pursuing 
her monotonous routine of duties and seeking God’s 
will in prayer, Madame de Chantal discovered that 
she had sometimes put the gift before the Giver and 
that, in her natural joy at her husband’s presence, 
she had shortened or disturbed her prayers and lost 
her taste for the duties of charity, and she resolved, 
with much sorrow and many tears, that, henceforth, 
God should be the first in her heart and in her 
life. 

Not very long after, Baron de Chantal, feeling that 
he could not conscientiously perform some service 
Henry the Fourth required of him, lost favor with 
the king and, at the age of thirty-five, in the height 
of his reputation, he cheerfully made the heroic 
88 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR&MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


sacrifice of his brilliant prospects for life and re¬ 
turned to Bourbilly. This was at the time of the 
frightful famine of 1601, when the dearth of all kinds 
of food was so terrible that thousands of the peas¬ 
antry died of starvation. Madame de Chantal’s 
charity was roused to action, and the young couple 
invented every means of relieving the misery around 
them. The peasant population from twenty miles 
around came to Bourbilly for food, and the Baron 
had a second gateway made in his courtyard, that 
those who came and went might be divided. But in 
spite of this precaution, some of the poor famish¬ 
ing creatures devoured their portion behind the 
castle walls and came back for a second. When the 
Baroness was informed of this, there sprang from 
her lips these touching words: “ My God, I am a 
beggar every moment at the door of Thy mercy, and 
what should I say, if I were driven away by Thee, 
after a second or a third time? More than a thou¬ 
sand times hast Thou kindly borne with my im¬ 
portunity and shall I not bear with the impor¬ 
tunity of Thy creatures ? ” A great part of the 
castle was fitted up as a hospital for the famine sick 
and there was built the great oven, called “ the oven 
89 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR&MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


of the poor,” which was standing until a few years 
ago. 

As time went on, the bountiful supplies of food in 
the castle stores lessened and disappeared until there 
remained in the granary only one barrel of flour and 
a small quantity of rye. When Madame de Chantal 
saw this, she, with her face radiant in unshrinking 
faith, turned to the astonished servants and bade 
them give bounteously to the crowds, besieging the 
castle gates. It is recorded that for full six months, 
the entire household and the neighboring poor were 
fed from this single barrel, and this miracle was re¬ 
newed several times, while the famine lasted. 

In the midst of these troubles, the Baron was 
taken seriously ill and his wife spent her days at his 
bedside, her nights in the chapel. While she was 
absorbed in ministering to him, his awakened soul 
soared to higher flights and he proposed to the wife 
that should either of them be taken by God, the 
survivor should be consecrated to His service; but 
Madame de Chantal would not hear of separation 
and turned from the subject. Her husband grew 
better, and together they prayed and read, played 
with their children, or strolled under the trees of the 
90 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


avenue, interchanging inner thoughts, higher hopes 
and joys. Then came the visit of M. d’Anl£zy of 
Chazelles, the Baron’s cousin, who, proposing some 
more stirring exercise, the two gentlemen went out 
with their dogs and guns to beat the game. No one 
can now say what happened, but it is supposed that 
M. d’Anl£zy’s gun caught in the bough of a tree 
and went off without his knowledge, badly wounding 
Baron de Chantal in the upper part of the thigh. 
He fell, with a sharp, sudden cry, telling his friend 
and cousin that he forgave him with all his heart. 
When the message reached her, Madame de Chan¬ 
tal was in bed, after the birth of her last child, but 
she rose, had herself dressed and taken to the 
village, where her husband lay in the cottage nearest 
to the accident. Then, weak and ill, she lost her 
self-control and burst into hysterical sobs and cries, 
which her husband gently strove to soothe, trying to 
lead her to recognize God’s Hand in the blow. He 
lingered in agonizing pain for nine days before he 
sank. His faith and love and unshrinking trust in 
God grew deeper and brighter every day, and the 
day before he died, he solemnly repeated his convic¬ 
tion that his death was accidental ; he freely for- 
91 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


gave him who had caused it and added a clause to 
his will, disinheriting any one of his children, who 
would indulge an idea of revenge. 

The husband had departed, but the wife remained, 
refusing to take food or rest and spending many 
hours a day before the Blessed Sacrament, buried 
in a passion of grief and completely forgetful of the 
outer world. This condition lasted for four months, 
when the great instincts of motherhood at last awoke, 
and Madame de Chantal returned to some semblance 
of ordinary life. Almost her first action was to make 
a vow of perpetual Chastity, then she gave her wed- 
ding-gown and rich dresses to the Church, her hus¬ 
band’s clothes to the poor, and pensioned off all the 
servants, not absolutely necessary. Her whole time 
was now devoted to prayer, reading, caring for the 
poor and teaching her children. Madame de Chan¬ 
tal now first felt the need of a good director, and 
began to pray very earnestly for one, when, one day, 
as she was riding alone about her property, she saw, 
at some little distance, and walking toward her, a 
person of serene and heavenly countenance, who 
looked liked a bishop, in cassock, rochet and baretta. 
At the same moment, the ears of her soul seemed to 
92 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FRfctflOT DE CHANTAL. 


hear the words : “ This is the guide, well beloved of 
God and man, in whose hands you will place your 
conscience.” She rode quickly to the spot, but 
found no one. At that very time, the Bishop of 
Geneva was rapt in ecstatic prayer in the old castle 
of Sales, when he saw a young widow and a new re¬ 
ligious congregation, of which she was to be the 
mother and he, the guide and instructor. 

Meanwhile, President Fremiot bade Madame de 
Chantal set everything in order at Bourbilly and 
make her home with him at Dijon, so she went to 
resume her old place in her father’s house, where 
she spent the first year of her widowhood in much 
inward peace. It was at this period, that she put 
herself under the direction of a Friar Minim and 
bound herself to him by four vows. Though his 
appearance did not correspond to Madame de 
Chantal’s vision of her future guide, this was not 
enough to make it imprudent to have recourse to 
him, and Saint Francis of Sales afterwards said that 
his direction was good for her soul, at the time. 

Shortly after, the Baroness returned to Bourbilly 
where, one day, as she was weeping and praying in 
the castle chapel, she saw herself surrounded by a 
93 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR^MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


great crowd of virgins and widows and heard a voice, 
saying: “ This is the generation that shall be given 
to you and to My faithful servant, a chaste and 
chosen generation, and I will that it should be holy.” 
She knew not what it meant, yet she was comforted. 

Not long afterwards, Madame de Chantal again 
left Bourbilly, to take up her residence with her 
father-in-law, the old Baron de Chantal, at Monthe- 
lon, and devote herself to him in his declining years. 
Unless she consented to this, he declared that he 
would marry again and disinherit her children. The 
good mother felt that Monthelon was indeed not a 
fit place in which to bring up these young souls, 
because the Baron led an irregular life and had al¬ 
lowed himself to be enslaved by an unworthy woman, 
his housekeeper, who preyed upon and wasted the 
Baron’s income, but, after reflection, Madame de 
Chantal decided that it was her first duty to care for 
her father-in-law, and that if she strove to set right 
what was wrong in his house, God would preserve 
her children from harm. When she set out, she 
found her carriage surrounded by a crowd of lame, 
blind, crippled and deformed, who closed around it 
and prevented the horses from moving, crying out 
94 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR^MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


that their mother was about to leave them, never to 
come back again. And so it was, though the whole 
neighborhood of Bourbilly is still fragrant with rec¬ 
ollections, traditions, sayings, and reverence of “ the 
Good Lady ” and, in the Confiteor, the country 
people are accustomed to say after “ the holy 
apostles Peter and Paul ” “ and to the Good Lady,” 
meaning Saint Jane Frances de Chantal. 


CHAPTER THIRD. 

LIFE AT MONTHELON. SAINT FRANCIS OF SALES. 

WORK AMONG THE SICK AND POOR. 1602-1606. 

It was towards the end of 1602, that Madame de 
Chantal began her long apprenticeship of seven years— 
in subjection and self-command, and the absolute 
surrender of her earnest desire for active good works. 
The old Baron was frank, brave and generous, but 
subject to fits of temper, violence and caprice, which 
frequently made his household tremble for their 
lives. Madame de Chantal never gave a single 
order, nor was she allowed to be regarded as the 
mistress of her father-in-law’s house, in which the 
housekeeper reigned supreme. The holy Baroness 
95 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


showed the utmost forbearance towards this woman, 
herself washing and dressing her five children and 
being ever a respectful and dutiful daughter to the 
Baron. It was during these suffering years, that 
Madame de Chantal became affiliated to the Order 
of the Capuchins. 

In the spring of 1604, she went to Dijon, at her 
father’s invitation, to hear Saint Francis of Sales 
preach the Lent sermons. No sooner had she seen 
the noble and serene face of the Saint, than she rec¬ 
ognized the sort of vision she had had of her future 
guide, and her soul was filled with joy. Francis, 
also, was struck by the calm face of the young widow 
and enquired of her brother, the Archbishop of 
Bourges, who she was. The Bishop was soon on 
intimate terms with President Fremiot and his 
family and almost immediately exercised an influence 
over Madame de Chantal, testing and gauging, as it 
were, the temper of her soul, yet her obedience to 
him was strictly limited to external acts. It was not 
until her director, to whom she was bound by a 
fourfold chain, was temporarily called away, that she 
went to confession and opened her mind to the holy 
Bishop. The peace she then enjoyed 
96 


was soon 






LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


followed by great mental torture for having broken 
her vow, made to the Father Minim, and this anguish 
ended only, when, on the advice of Father de Villars, 
a Jesuit, she placed herself definitively under the 
direction of Saint Francis of Sales, at the pilgrimage 
of Saint-Claude, in the August of 1604. The Bishop 
gave her a new rule of life and method of prayer 
with definite points for the practice of virtue and 
the training of her children, softening her somewhat 
exacting disposition in regard to their conduct and 
faults. 

They were four in number, Celse Benigne, Marie 
Aimee, Frangoise and Charlotte, whom their mother 
watched over with untiring solicitude, herself teach¬ 
ing them to read, to repeat and explain the Cate¬ 
chism, and thoroughly to understand their religion. 
She taught them to love and to visit the sick and 
the poor, carrying to them food and clothing. 
Not less attention did this excellent mother give to 
the culture of their souls and the development of 
their characters and the Bishop was constantly ad¬ 
vising her: “ Do this like the Angels,”—that is, 
that a mother’s influence must always be used 
meekly, gently and sweetly. 

7 97 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


Madame de Chantal had another meeting with 
Francis, at the castle of Sales, in the May of 1605, 
and in the common intercourse of home life, Francis 
noticed the faults, shortcomings, and tendencies of 
this vigorous character and counselled her accordingly, 
so that she returned to Monthelon with fresh energy 
for the cultivation of her soul. This was shown in 
practical and, what are called, small things and 
caused her servants to say: “ Madame’s old con¬ 
fessor had bidden her say her prayers three times 
a day and all were tired of it, but the new one made 
her pray all day long and no one was put about.’' 
At the word of Francis, Madame de Chantal even 
resolved that she would change her face and replace 
by cheerfulness the weary grief stamped upon it 
since her husband’s death ; she took up her singing 
again and, in every way, became more gentle and 
sweet-mannered. Small details of self-denial became 
part of her daily life, and gradually, she gave up every 
remnant of outward worldliness, sacrificing even her 
long silky brown hair. 

More time than ever was given to visiting and 
relieving the poor in their own homes, performing for 
them the most repulsive personal acts, and enjoying 
98 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


the monopoly, so to say, of burying the dead. Her 
relatives took great offence, accusing her of wasting 
her time and means, leaving her father-in-law to the 
care of servants, and exposing her children to in¬ 
fectious diseases. Madame de Chantal calmly and 
humbly explained her actions, thus allowing us to 
see how perfectly her conduct was ruled by a divine 
law, regarding the sick and the afflicted, as the 
unbroken race of Christ’s members, carrying the 
Cross after Him. 


CHAPTER FOURTH. 

MADAME DE CHANTAL’S VOCATION TO THE 
RELIGIOUS LIFE. 1607-1610. 

THERE came a time, probably about the year 1606, 
when the ordinary Christian life, perfect as she might 
make it, seemed to Madame de Chantal but a lame 
and halting progress, compared with the aspirations 
of her soul for a more intimate union with God, 
but to all her entreaties, pleas, and representations, 
Francis, at first, only replied ; “ Patience, we will 
speak of this by and by.” Meanwhile, the Car- 
99 


LofC, 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


melites founded a house at Dijon, and Madame de 
Chantal sought the counsel of Mother Anne of 
Jesus ; she even went so far as to ask her director’s 
permission to enter this convent, but did not obtain 
it, while the nuns themselves dissuaded her. Mother 
Mary of the Trinity said: “No, Madame, you will 
never be one of Saint Teresa’s daughters. God will 
give you so many of your own that, instead, you will 
be one of her companions.” 

After about a year, Francis again summoned 
Madame de Chantal to Annecy, where she arrived a 
few days before Whit-Sunday. On Monday, the 
Bishop calling her, said with great earnestness; 
“ My daughter, I have quite decided what I will make 
of you.” 

Madame de Chantal knelt down and replied : 
“ And I am resolved to obey you, my Lord and 
Father.” 

“ That is well,’ he said. “ You must enter the Poor 
Clares.” 

“ I am quite ready, Father.” 

“Still, I think you are scarcely strong enough. 
You shall be a hospital Sister, at Beaune.” 

“ As you please.” 


ioo 





LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR^MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


“ No, that is not what I wish. You shall be a 
Carmelite.” 

“ I am ready to obey.” 

“ No/’ said Francis, “none of these vocations 
would suit you.” Then he went on to unfold to her 
his idea of the Visitation, its plan and spirit, and 
Madame de Chantal knew that she now heard the 
genuine direction of God for her future life and work. 

Shortly after this, wearied out with numerous 
and continual offers of marriage, Madame de Chantal 
one day heated a bodkin red-hot and branded the 
Name of Jesus indelibly upon her heart; with the 
blood that flowed from the wound, she wrote a 
renewal of her vows and the resolution to give 
herself wholly to God. 

In 1607 or 1608, when Madame de Chantal was 
again visiting the castle of Sales, the project of a 
marriage between the Bishop’s young brother, 
Bernard de Sales, and her little daughter Marie 
Aimee was formed. After some hesitation, Presi¬ 
dent Fremiot, the child’s grandfather, gave his 
consent, though she was only eleven years old and 
about to make her First Communion. Meanwhile, 
Jane de Sales, the Bishop’s little sister, had been 
101 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR^MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


intrusted to Madame de Chantal, to be brought up 
with her own children. In the fall of this same year, 
1608, the bright young girl, stricken with fever, died 
after a severe illness of a few days. This loss, which 
Madame de Chantal made a vow to replace, by giving 
one of her own daughters to the family of Sales, 
hastened the plan of Marie Aimee’s marriage, which 
loosened the bonds that tied her mother to Mont- 
helon. It was only natural that she should wish to 
be near the child-wife at Annecy, in moments of need. 

After the wedding ceremony, a family consultation 
was held upon Madame de Chantal's desire to enter 
religion, which, shortly before, she had made known 
to her venerable father. The matter was still 
unsettled, when little Charlotte de Chantal, the 
youngest child, died, and then, Madame de Boisy, 
the Bishop’s revered mother, and it became manifest 
that Madame de Chantal would be obliged to remove 
to Annecy. She left Monthelon amid most affecting 
scenes, about the middle of March, 1610, and Dijon, 
where she had the fiercest of all fiery ordeals to 
encounter, on the nineteenth, Saint Joseph’s day. 
All the relatives whom it was possible to assemble 
came to President Fremiot’s house to bid her farewell. 
102 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


Here it was that Celse Benigne, her only son, wrought 
up to the highest pitch of desperate and rebellious 
suffering, passionately declared that, if she would 
persist in leaving them, she should pass over his body, 
and he threw himself at full length before the door, so 
that his mother was actually obliged to step over 
him to get to her carriage. Then came the parting 
from her venerable father, who, weeping, bitterly, 
raised his aged hands above her head and blessed her, 
as she knelt before him. Afterwards he roused him¬ 
self that, as he said, he might “ show more reverence 
for God’s will,” gave her a beautiful letter for Francis 
of Sales, and put her and her companions into the 
carriage waiting at the gate. 

As the party approached Annecy, Francis, accom¬ 
panied by the principal inhabitants of the town, 
came out to welcome the “ good lady,” who had 
given up so much for God’s sake. Indeed, it seemed 
as if all Annecy had turned out of doors, on that 
beautiful Palm Sunday evening, and it was through a 
friendly and rejoicing crowd, that the tired travelers 
were conducted to the house of Mr. Favre, President 
of the Parliament of Savoy, where Madame de 
Chantal was to remain a few days. 

103 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR&MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


Meanwhile, Francis purchased, on the very edge 
of the Lake of Annecy, a small house, with a green 
court on one side and, on the other, a pretty or¬ 
chard, connected with the house by a covered bridge, 
thrown over the road. It was called the Little 
Gallery House and he said of it: “I have found a 
hive for my poor bees, or rather, a cage for my little 
doves." Poor , indeed, they were, for the holy Bishop 
having commanded Madame de Chantal to be satis¬ 
fied to receive as alms an allowance made her by her 
brother, the Archbishop of Bourges, she had made 
over to her children all that she possessed, and there 
were but a few crowns in the house. On June sixth, 
the feast of Saint Claude and Trinity Sunday, 
Madame de Chantal and her two companions, Marie 
Favre and Charlotte de Br6chard went to Mass and 
Holy Communion, spending the rest of the day in 
devotions and visits to some poor sick people. In 
the evening, the saintly Prelate summoned all three 
into his presence and, placing in Madame de Chan- 
tal’s hands a slight sketch of the first Constitutions 
to be followed, he gave them his solemn blessing. 
He had intended that the time of their departure for 
the Gallery House should be kept secret, but, when 
104 






LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR&MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


the party left his house, they could scarcely move 
for the crowd of people, who respectfully escorted 
them. On reaching their new “ hive,” they found 
the little chapel full of ladies, who had come to bid 
Madame de Chantal farewell. At the gate, they 
were met by Anne Jacqueline Coste, formerly a poor 
maid-servant in an inn at Geneva, where she came 
into communication with Francis of Sales. Super- 
naturally informed of the projected foundation, she 
said one day to the Bishop : “ I should like to be a 
servant to the nuns you are going to found.” 
Though very much surprised, Francis readily prom¬ 
ised a place to this so-called ignorant girl, in whom 
he had recognized clear discernment, simple purity, 
unshaken courage and faith firm as a rock. Anne 
Jacqueline knelt down at Madame de Chantal’s feet 
and promised to obey her in all things, with great 
fidelity. 

When, finally, they were left alone, the happy 
four knelt down and gave thanks to God, for having 
brought them into port and, giving one another the 
kiss of peace, they retired for the night. Madame 
de Chantal had just fallen into her first sleep, about 
two o’clock A.M., when the enemy woke her up 
105 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


suddenly, showing her, her father and father-in-law 
loaded with grief and years, and her children crying 
vengeance before God against her; representing to 
her that she had tempted God in beginning a relig¬ 
ious house without funds and a thousand other vain 
objections. The attack lasted two hours, and the 
only weapon of defence used by this valiant woman 
was to place herself resolutely in the hands of God. 

Soon seven new members came to join the little 
band and share the real hardships of poverty and in¬ 
convenience that they had to undergo, for though 
President Favre and other friends were bountiful in 
their donations, there were times when the recluses 
had “ neither bread, wine, oil, nor salt meat ” and 
had only a few sous in the money box. Yet God 
Himself provided for them in a marvelous manner, 
so that a little cask of wine, given in alms, sufficed 
abundantly for more than a year. Meanwhile, 
Francis occupied himself with their rule and the 
manner of saying the Little Office of our Lady. 
Strange to say, Mother de Chantal found some diffi¬ 
culty in the pronunciation of the Latin, in the 
Psalms, but so important in her eyes was everything 
that related to the service of God, that she spent 
106 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


several hours of the night in repeating again and 
again such verses as she had been told were faulty. 
In these beginnings, Francis had so entirely in view 
the active service of the poor, that he wished to call 
the Institute, the Congregation of Saint Martha, but 
a few days later, he decided that the name of the 
Sisters should be the Daughters of the Visitation, 
and that they should take for their model our Lady, 
leaving her solitude and seclusion at the call of 
charity, to visit her cousin Saint Elizabeth in the 
hill country of Judea, and then returning to the 
hidden life at Nazareth. 

Nothing was too great or too trifling for Francis 
of Sales to provide for. When the question of the 
habit was discussed, Madame de Chantal wanted the 
profession veils to be made of crepe, which he would 
not allow, as being too expensive, but selected 
“ famine,” a light, thin kind of bombazine, a dress 
of which the good mother cut up to make the veils, 
Francis himself shaping the back in the form still 
worn by the Visitation nuns. 

At the same time, no one could be more exact 
and even severe in regard to faults against the high 
standard required by the Vows. When the day of 
107 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR^MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


profession drew near, the Sisters persuaded their 
Mother to let them use for the decoration of the 
chapel and altar some money which the Bishop had 
left for the use of the sick, there being none else in 
the house. No sooner was the money spent, than 
Mother de Chantal, with great repentance, wrote to 
tell the Bishop of her disobedience. Not knowing 
the circumstances, he was deeply grieved, and in the 
morning, when she again accused herself of her 
fault, he said very gravely : “ Daughter, this is your 
first disobedience to me ; it has given me a very bad 
night,” and he passed on without another word, 
leaving her on her knees, in tears. But the lesson 
and the humble way in which it was received were 
never forgotten by the Sisters. 

The Profession day was a lovely morning in 
June, 1611, when the holy Bishop received the 
Vows of his first daughters, in the presence of a 
large concourse of people. After the ceremony, 
many of the ladies wanted to congratulate Mother 
de Chantal on the fulfilment of her wishes, but the 
Bishop desired that, on so solemn a day, the Sisters 
should be left to themselves. Thus did our great 
Saint pledge herself to that “life of total sacrifice, 
108 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


under vows,” for which her ardent soul had so long 
yearned, and under sudden inspiration she said 
aloud, as she and her companions returned from the 
sanctuary to the choir: “Here is my rest; and 
here, will I abide forever,” words which to this day 
are used in the ritual of Profession of the Sisters of 
the Visitation. 


CHAPTER FIFTH. 

LIFE AT THE GALLERY HOUSE. DEATHS AND 
CHANGES. NEW HOME. 1611-1617. 

The foundation-stones having been firmly set in 
place by the ceremony of solemn Profession, the work 
of the new Institute was vigorously carried forward. 
Francis, accompanied by his secretary and chaplain, 
the Reverend Michel Favre, would often go to the 
Convent and suggest to the Sisters their general 
plan of life and the spirit in which they should carry 
it out. He fixed the hour for rising, the order of 
the day, the allowance of food on fasting-days, the 
intercourse of the Sisters with one another, and pro¬ 
vided in the most minute way for the welfare of 
109 





LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR^MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


souls, the well-being and happiness of the least in¬ 
mate of the house. 

Every one in the Gallery House shared in the prac¬ 
tical suffering of poverty and lowly service, and when 
a cow was bought, chiefly to supply milk for the poor, 
and the Sisters watched in turn that she did not 
browse the young shrubs in the orchard, Mother de 
Chantal took her hours of cow-keeping, as well as 
the others. Of the keener sufferings of mortification 
and want of food and rest, she took far more than 
the lion’s share. A heavy blow was now being pre¬ 
pared for her, and the death of her aged father, so 
soon after her leaving him, caused our Saint many 
bitter pangs. Her boy Celse Benigne was again 
thrown upon her hands, and she was obliged to go to 
Dijon and Bourbilly for two months, to provide for 
his education and other important affairs. During 
this stay in her own country, Mother de Chantal was 
much tormented by the efforts of her relatives to 
convince her that it was her positive duty to come 
and live among her own people. One of them hav¬ 
ing rudely remarked that, if her advice were fol¬ 
lowed, Mother de Chantal’s “ veil should be torn into 
a thousand bits, the Saint, with quiet dignity, re- 
IIO 





LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


plied : “ She that cares for her crown more than for 
her head, will not lose one without the other.” 

As soon as affairs were settled, Mother de Chan- 
tal returned in all haste to Annecy, where she was 
joyfully welcomed by the Sisters, on Christmas eve. 
A few days later, took place her first election as Su¬ 
perioress of the Community and the beginning of the 
service of the poor. Mother de Chantal always re¬ 
served to herself the most repulsive and disgusting 
cases, saying that then she seemed to be wiping the 
Wounds of our Saviour in His Passion. 

Shortly afterwards, the Sisters abandoned their 
primitive beehive and removed to a larger house in 
the middle of the town, but the sale of their modest 
little house was hardly completed, when there arose 
general regret at having lost the scene of so many 
circumstances of interest to the Congregation ; offers 
were made to the purchaser to buy it back again, 
but in vain. Nearly fifty years elapsed before the 
efforts of the Sisters met with success, and it was 
only in 1658, when its first occupants had long 
entered into their rest, that the Gallery House be¬ 
came once more the property of the Sisters of the 
Visitation. 


111 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


Meanwhile, many poisoned arrows were directed 
against the new Congregation, some of the people 
saying that the Bishop of Geneva wasted his time 
with women, others that he had found for them a 
new way to Heaven, a path of roses without thorns ; 
others again called it the “ Confraternity of the De¬ 
scent from the Cross,” because, they said, the Sisters 
had taken our Lord off the Cross, by avoiding suffer¬ 
ing, but the disinterested charity of the Sisters, in 
resigning a rich inheritance, through love of peace, 
though they were exceedingly poor, made the 
greatest impression upon the whole town. 

Next came the good Christian death of the old 
Baron deChantal, in 1613, and the Mother Foundress 
was again obliged to leave her convent, in order to 
look after her children’s property and affairs. At 
Monthelon, the wretched housekeeper, who had 
brought such misery on the family was, to her own 
amazement, most kindly treated, though she still 
assumed airs of authority and importance. The old 
baron’s affairs were in great confusion, but Mother 
de Chantal thought it best freely to forgive the ten¬ 
ants’ dues for past years and, by dint of great patience, 
gentleness, and incessant toil, succeeded in setting in 
112 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


order everything upon the property, then, after an 
absence of six busy weeks, went back to Annecy. 
Her return was followed by an attack of low fever, 
which brought her to the brink of the grave, but she 
was cured by the application of the relics of Saint 
Blaise and the prayers of Francis of Sales. 

The Bishop now determined to build an entirely 
new convent for the Sisters, and the first stone was 
laid in 1614, in the presence of the Duchess Margaret 
of Mantua and the Infanta, or Princess Royal of 
Savoy, who was chosen as protector of the Institute, 
while the Duke himself, Charles Emmanuel, gave 
the ground for the building. The foundation of the 
convent at Lyons was the next important event, and 
led to a fundamental change in the plan and purpose 
of the new Congregation, the Visitation, contrary to 
the intention of the founder, but at the formal de¬ 
mand of the Cardinal de Marquemont, Archbishop 
of Lyons, being erected into an Order, under the 
“ Rule of Saint Augustin, with solemn vows and 
perpetual enclosure.” This change seems to have 
been made in 1617, and this and the following year 
were employed in drawing up the Constitutions. 
This period was also marked by the publication by 

8 113 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR&MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


the holy Bishop of his famous treatise of “ The Love 
of Godf which we mention here, because he himself 
says that it was written expressly for Mother de 
Chantal and a few of her favored daughters. All 
Europe raised one voice of admiring praise. 


CHAPTER SIXTH. 

DEATH OF BERNARD AND MARIE AIMEE DE SALES. 

FOUNDATIONS. ANGELIQUE ARNAUD. DEATH 

OF FRANCIS DE SALES. 1617-1622. 

The pleasant task of drawing up the Visitation 
Rules was broken in upon by a double calamity, 
which with the same blow struck down the holy 
Bishop and Mother de Chantal. Bernard de Sales, 
who had just spent two months of peaceful happi¬ 
ness with his girl-wife at the old castle of Sales, was 
suddenly summoned to arms and ordered to lead 
his troops across the Alpine pass to Vercelli. In 
camp there, he was stricken by malignant fever and, 
resigning himself to die, not by the sword, but by 
disease, he generously offered to God the sacrifice 
of his bright, happy life of thirty-four years, then he 
implored a blessing on his wife, received the last 
J14 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR&MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


Sacraments, and died without pain, as a “ young 
saint among the soldiers.” The holy Bishop him¬ 
self told the sad news to Marie Aim£e, who, in spite 
of her anguish, spent the day in making acts of love, 
thanksgiving and submission. Three months glided 
by, then the little Baroness gave birth to a son, 
who lived only long enough to be baptized. Sudden 
and acute illness soon set in for the young mother, 
and she knew that she must put her house in order 
and go forth to meet the Bridegroom. Francis 
heard her confession and gave her holy Viaticum, 
then Marie Aimee asked to receive the habit of a 
novice, which was given her, before Extreme Unc¬ 
tion was administered. Afterwards, at her earnest 
request, with the consent of the Community, the 
Bishop gave her the black veil and received her 
vows. A few hours later, she said gently: “Here 
is death; now I must make ready to go.” Then, 
pronouncing three times the Name of Jesus, she went 
to her rest. This beautiful life had lasted but little 
more than nineteen years, during .which Marie 
Aimee de Chantal had become a maiden, a wife, a 
mother, a widow, a religious and, we may believe, a 
soul beloved of God. 

US 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR13MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


This premature ending of two such beautiful lives 
afflicted Mother de Chantal with no common sorrow, 
and hers was not a character to throw off the grief 
of losses, which pierced her heart, but, most oppor¬ 
tunely, numerous foundations of her Order now 
claimed her attention, and she was obliged to pro¬ 
vide for the swarms which, successively, left the 
mother hive at Annecy, for Moulins, Grenoble and 
Bourges. Then Francis summoned her to Paris, to 
prepare the way for an establishment, to prevent 
which, for three weeks, all kinds of underhand in¬ 
triguing went on, but, suddenly, one day Cardinal de 
Retz wrote with his own hand the permission for the 
Community to settle in Paris. Soon, a most fearful 
pestilence broke out, the city was deserted, and 
grass was seen growing in the streets ; the Sisters 
had neither food, nor fire, nor furniture, but bore 
with true heroism these extraordinary hardships, 
sustained and comforted by the cheerfulness of their 
mother. Then the entrance of a wealthy postulant 
brought temporal relief, and with her dowry, Mother 
de Chantal bought a large house in the “ rue Saint 
Antoine ,” to which the Community removed in 1621. 

It was at this time that Mother de Chantal be- 
116 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR^MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


came acquainted with the celebrated Angelique Ar- 
nauld, the Abbess of Port Royal, who thought of re¬ 
signing the command of her abbey, to embrace the 
practice of obedience, among the Sisters of the 
Visitation. Francis, with prophetic eye, was not in¬ 
clined to favor this change, but Mother de Chantal 
was ready to accept Angelique as a novice. It was 
determined to abide by the decision of Rome, which 
was delayed until after the holy Foundress had left 
Paris and the Bishop of Geneva had gone to his re¬ 
ward. Later, under the evil influence of the Abb£ 
de Saint Cyran, this splendidly gifted soul became 
the embodiment of the spirit of Port Royal, of 
those nuns, of whom the Archbishop of Paris said 
that they were “ pure as angels, and proud as fiends,” 
but by the failure of Ang£lique’s attempt to enter 
the order, the Visitation was saved from the insidious 
poison of Jansenism. 

In the summer of 1620, Frangoise, Saint Chantal’s 
only remaining daughter, was married to the Count 
de Toulonjon, a Burgundian gentleman of an old 
family, and the Saint went to Paris, to give her child 
a marriage blessing. This union of principle, rather 
than fancy, was productive of great happiness, 

11 7 


t 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


shadowed by the death of their first children and the 
absences of the Count on military service. During 
one of these times of loneliness and anxiety, Mother 
de Chantal and six of her nuns, on their way to found 
a new house at Dijon, filled with gladness the old 
castle of Alonne, the home of Frangoise. At Dijon, 
great opposition was made by the parliament to the 
foundation of the convent, but finally, Letters Patent 
were obtained from the king, Louis the Thirteenth, 
and the whole population, who evidently did not 
sympathize with the civic authorities, crowded the 
streets to meet Saint Chantal. In the evening, about 
two hundred peasants from the neighboring villages 
came to welcome her and were most cordially re¬ 
ceived. Before leaving, they all went down on their 
knees, and refused to rise until she had given them 
her blessing. 

Here, Mother de Chantal received a letter from 
Francis de Sales, telling her to meet him at Lyons, 
but when she got there, she found it difficult to 
obtain a visit from him, as he had so much to do, on 
account of the presence of the courts of France and 
Savoy. When at last he came to the convent, it 
seemed to her as if the glory of Ffeaven was already 
118 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR&MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


reflected upon him and showed itself through the 
veil of the body. He said to her : “ Mother, we 

have some hours before us; which of us shall begin 
the conversation ? ” “ Let me, if you please, Father,” 
she replied, with a little of her old impetuosity, “ my 
soul has great need to be reviewed by you,” but he 
told her gently that that would be done at Annecy, 
they must now speak of the affairs of their little Con¬ 
gregation. Mother de Chantal, without an objection, 
folded up the papers relating to her conscience and 
she and the Bishop spent four successive hours in 
regulating what was still necessary for the complete 
organization of the Order. This was the last inter¬ 
view on earth of these two saintly souls, as, in obe¬ 
dience to duty, Mother de Chantal immediately re¬ 
turned to Annecy. Two weeks later, on December 
twenty-seventh, Francis was stricken down with 
apoplexy and paralysis ; he lingered in agony for 
thirty hours, and while the invocation, “Allye Holy 
Innocents pray for himf of the Litany for a Depart¬ 
ing Soul were being said, “ the doors of his prison 
house were opened,” and the beautiful soul of Fran¬ 
cis de Sales soared to eternal freedom. 

At that moment, Mother de Chantal in the chapel 
119 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR^MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


at Grenoble, distinctly heard a voice saying,” He 
is no more ! ” Not thinking of his death, but of the 
wondrous transformation she had seen in him, she 
exclaimed : “ No y my God , he is no more ; he lives 710 
longer ; it is Thou who livest in him ! ” Not a single 
foreboding troubled her, as she left Grenoble for 
Belley, where the terrible news was communicated 
to her. For one whole day and night, her tears 
flowed gently, but without stopping, until after her 
Communion the next morning. The following day, 
she went on to Annecy to make ready the chapel to 
receive the sacred remains of the holy Founder. 
What Mother de Chantal felt on hearing that Mr. 
Olier, the chief magistrate of the province, had pro¬ 
hibited the removal of the body, cannot be described. 
For the first time in her life she used words of com¬ 
mand to Mother de Blonay, the Superioress at 
Lyons: “ I beseech you and, if I may dare, I com¬ 
mand you to do this,”—that is, every thing possible 
to hasten the departure of the holy body. She wrote 
to the Duke of Savoy, to the Mayor and Syndics of 
Annecy and, in short, acted with such energy and 
prompt resolution, that all opposition was withdrawn. 
On the arrival of the funeral train at Annecy, a short 
120 





LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR^MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


visit was made to the church, then the coffin was 
borne into the chapel of the Visitation and placed in 
the sanctuary, close to the nuns’ choir. 

“ We will talk about ourselves at Annecy,” Francis 
had said, so, obedient to him in death, as she had 
been in life, Mother de Chantal knelt beside the 
coffin and opened her whole soul to him. What 
passed between them is God’s secret, but when she 
returned to the Community, her whole manner was 
changed, as of one infinitely comforted and refreshed. 


CHAPTER SEVENTH. 

WORK OF ORGANIZATION. FOUNDATIONS. MAR¬ 
RIAGE OF CELSE BENIGNE. HIS DEATH. THE 
PLAGUE. 1622-1629. 

Mother de Chantal was well aware that upon 
her it now depended to carry on the work of Francis 
of Sales ; she showed herself prepared and promptly 
took her measures. Her first step was solemnly to 
lay aside her office as Superior, according to the 
Rules of the Visitation, much to the consternation 
of the nuns, but, a few days later, they had their 
revenge by unanimously electing Mother de Chantal 
121 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR&MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


perpetual Superior. This election she declared to be 
null and void, as contrary to the Rules and Consti¬ 
tutions of the Order ; her firmness triumphed over 
the importunity of the Sisters, and, finally, she was 
re-elected for three years only. Then she called a 
special council of Superiors, to consult in regard to 
the usages and customs of the Order, and the result 
of these labors is contained in three books: first, the 
Rule of Saint Augustin , translated into French by 
Francis of Sales; second, the Const it utions and 
Directory , drawn up by the holy Bishop, to explain 
and adapt that Rule; and the Custom Book , put to¬ 
gether from his notes and papers. When this last 
was completed, it was laid by Mother de Chantal 
upon the Founder’s grave, where she sent all the 
Sisters to pray that every word and thought, contrary 
to his intention, might be blotted out of it. 

The next work undertaken by the saintly Mother 
was a commentary on the Visitation Rules, known 
as th g “ Answers of our Holy Mother which was 
afterwards printed without her knowledge. Deeply 
grieved on being apprised of the fact, she sent for all 
the copies intrusted to the bookseller, and henceforth 
none were allowed outside the convents. 


122 





LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR&MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


The year 1624 was marked by the marriage of 
Mother de Chantal’s only son, Celse B6nigne, now 
Baron de Chantal, with Marie de Coulanges, which 
relieved his mother of much anxiety, so that she 
turned with refreshed powers to the arduous work of 
the new foundations. Thirteen convents had been 
established before Francis of Sales closed his eyes in 
peace, the fourteenth was opened just after his death 
and by 1626, eleven new ones were added to the 
list. 

In that same year, Mother de Chantal’s superiority, 
according to the Rule, came to an end, but the nuns 
at Orleans elected her for their own convent; as 
Francis of Sales had laid it down that she should not 
attach herself to any one single house but that of 
Annecy, she did not accept the office, but went to 
Orleans to assist at the election of another Superior. 
Just as she was leaving Annecy, she met a gentle¬ 
man, who was suffering from violent attacks in the 
head and who was immediately cured by the touch 
of her hand. At Cremieux, where a foundation was 
to begin, a fierce fire went out at her prayer, as if 
quenched by a sudden deluge of water. Mother de 
Chantal remained three months at Orleans and then 

123 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


proceeded to Paris, where a storm of hostility had 
been raised against the Sisters, on account of the 
successful foundation of a second house, almost 
without resources. 

Meanwhile, another trial was impending over this 
noble-hearted mother. Celse B£nigne’s marriage not 
having done all that had been hoped for him, his es¬ 
capades continued until he lost favor with the king 
and disgrace hung over him at court. In order, as 
it were, to redeem his reputation, the young man 
offered himself among the noble volunteers, who, in 
1627, tried to hinder the English from landing for 
the relief of La Rochelle. He made his confession 
and received Holy Communion with every sign of 
earnest faith; then, after having been wounded 
twenty-seven times and had three horses killed under 
him, he was seen to join his hands, imploring the 
mercy of God and fell with honor, in a just cause. 

Mother de Chantal was startled out of this fresh 
sorrow, by the appearance of a dreadful epidemic, 
called at the time “ la grande peste ,” one of the most 
frightful that ever ravaged Europe ; the towns were 
deserted except for the sick and dying, and even the 
fields were left untilled; Mother de Chantal’s great 
124 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


motherly heart both suffered and rejoiced ; for, while 
she could not but rejoice at the heroic virtue prac¬ 
tised so generally in her convents, she could not help 
grieving, like a true mother, over the loss of many 
“ pearls ” of virtue, and felt to her very heart’s core 
the poverty, the absolute want and the forsaken con¬ 
dition of her beloved daughters. She bent the full 
force of her energies and capacity and all the influ¬ 
ence she could bring, to gather means and help ; she 
sent to the various houses supplies of corn, medicines, 
clothing, shoes, and to one, a whole flock of sheep, 
while to all, she wrote words of encouragement, 
advice, and the tenderest comfort and support. In 
the midst of her anxieties and exertions, the holy 
Foundress received an order from the Bishop of 
Annecy, to return home at once, without stopping 
on the road at any of the infected houses. It was a 
cruel order, but she obeyed it strictly, passing by the 
very gates of some of her convents. She wrote an 
urgent letter to her daughter Frangoise, begging her 
to help the poor nuns, whom their Mother might not 
even see, and, to support her request, went to Alonne 
to visit Fran^oise. The Superioress of Autun, 
Mother Marie Helene de Chastelluz, obtained leave 
125 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


to go near the road, along which Mother de Chantal 
was to pass, and wait for her in a field, at some dis¬ 
tance and against the wind. But when the holy 
Mother saw her, she could not contain herself and, 
making the Sign of the Cross, exclaimed : “ Let us 
meet in God’s Name ! ” Running towards Mother 
de Chastelluz, she kissed her and made her get into 
the carriage, at which Frangoise was so terribly 
frightened, that she afterwards said she would have 
been ready to die of fear, if she had not known that 
her mother was a saint, and, in fact, no harm came 
of it. 

At Chalons-sur-Saone, where her nephew had just 
been appointed Bishop, Saint Chantal met with a 
perfect ovation, and she grieved bitterly when she 
found that the Ursulines actually cut off a great 
piece of her veil, but her skill in trying to avoid such 
marks of honor was useless, and it is recorded that, 
as long as she remained there, she daily lost some 
fragments of her veil and habit. Mother de Chantal 
reached Annecy towards the end of 1628, and was 
re-elected Superior shortly after her arrival. Never 
was there a time when the Sisters had greater need 
of their Mother’s presence and counsels, for, at this 
126 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


juncture, the dreaded pestilence invaded this secluded 
spot among the mountains. Letters from all sides 
poured in, begging Mother de Chantal to seek safety 
elsewhere, but nothing could induce her to abandon 
her post. After writing to the Superiors of her con¬ 
vents a circular letter, which she felt might be her last, 
she gave herself up to helping, comforting, and re¬ 
lieving the sick poor, distributing with unsparing 
hand all that she had, until food and money were 
gone. A fresh supply of corn, and wine, which was 
given her, was miraculously multiplied, and far out¬ 
lasted natural limits. She, moreover, stirred up the 
zeal of the Bishop and a few devoted friends and ex¬ 
cited to heroic charity the syndic and some leading 
people of Annecy, whose preservation was owing, 
they felt, to the wearing of Agnus Dei , sent by 
Mother de Chantal with the assurance that they who 
wore them should not be attacked by the disease. 
The Bishop himself, John Francis de Sales, acknowl¬ 
edged in strong words the help given by her prayers : 
“ O my noble Mother! ” he exclaimed, “ you are my 
Moses and I am your Joshua. So long as you hold 
up your hands to Heaven, I and mine shall fight 
against the woes of our people.” 

127 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


Through all this season of death and desolation, 
the convent bell struck its note of peace and the 
sound of prayer and holy office went up as usual, as 
if life and death were merged in that blessed 
eternity, on which their souls were fixed. The daily 
occupations were never intermitted, but in order to 
stay the terrible plague, the Sisters heartily and 
cheerfully took upon themselves fasts upon bread 
and water, penances and processions bare-footed, 
with ropes round their necks. The disease never 
reached the convent. Speaking later on, of this 
time, when there was little or no communication 
with the world, Saint Chantal said that she had 
never known such peace, and that, but for the suffer¬ 
ings of the people, she would have wished it to last 
forever. At length the plague ceased, but it helped 
mainly to carry out, but on a much larger scale, the 
first plan of the Founder of the Visitation. It is 
thought that Mother de Chantal’s constant inter¬ 
course with Saint Vincent de Paul at Paris must 
have stirred up to new energy the gentle and 
prudent “ Saint of the Poor,” but certain it is, that 
in 1634, after the scourge of the plague had died 
out, “the daughters of Saint Vincent de Paul were 
128 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR&MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


embodied in their first modest shape” and Saint 
Vincent himself so entirely ascribed the first idea of 
their creation to the Visitation Foundress, that he 
often called the Sisters of Charity “ Madame de 
Chantal’s Legacy.” 


CHAPTER EIGHTH. 

ILLNESS OF FRANgOISE.—STEPS FOR THE CANONI¬ 
ZATION OF SAINT FRANCIS OF SALFS.—DEATHS. 

—SECOND HOUSE AT ANNECY. 1629-1634. 

WHILE Mother de Chantal was thus devoting 
herself, heart, soul, and body, in the service of God 
at Annecy, Fran£oise was busied in establishing a 
convent of Visitandines at Pignerol, the “ key of 
Italy,” of which her husband had been appointed 
governor. In the midst of her labors, she fell 
dangerously ill of fever, and it seemed as if God 
was about to take from the saintly mother her only 
remaining child. 

A messenger from the governor was sent to 
Annecy, to pray at the tomb of Francis of Sales, 
carry the tidings to Mother de Chantal and obtain 
the powerful help of her prayers. With clasped 
9 129 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


hands, she received the “ bad news,” and resigned 
herself to God’s holy Will, but the next morning, 
at Holy Communion, she received the assurance of 
immediate answer to her prayer, and Frangoise 
rapidly recovered. 

Mother de Chantal, meanwhile, occupied herself 
in the completion of the Visitation Rule and in 
obtaining multiplied proofs of the graces obtained 
by the intercession of Francis of Sales, to lead the 
way to the opening of his canonization. The years of 
the pestilence had witnessed the most marvelous 
manifestation of the power of this beloved Bishop 
his charity seeming to be available in every possible 
need. From the relic of his heart at Lyons con¬ 
tinually flowed a sweet liquid, resembling fragrant 
oil, from which circumstance, the Lyonnese called 
the nuns “ the Daughters of the Heart.” The 
sanctity of the meek Bishop of Geneva was proved 
beyond denial, by numberless miracles, and a very 
short time after his death he was canonized by the 
popular voice. Mother de Chantal had copies of 
his books distributed in various countries, and 
collected with care every scrap of his letters, sermons, 
and treatises, to from a good edition of his works. 
130 





LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


It was while turning over the manuscripts of the 
Saint, that the holy Mother came across the bundle 
of her own letters to him, filed according to date, 
with marginal notes in his own hand. Astonished 
and confused, she shed many tears, then impetuously 
seized the packet and threw it into the fire. Mother 
de Chantal also made the Sisters write down what¬ 
ever they could recollect of their personal intercourse 
or experience with Francis, to serve as notes for his 
life, the writing of which she intrusted to his nephew 
Charles Augustus de Sales and Father de la Riviere. 

Three Apostolic Commissaries having been ap¬ 
pointed by the Sacred Congregation of Rites at 
Rome, to inquire into the virtues and miracles of 
the servant of God, Mother de Chantal was the first 
witness examined by them and, on the whole, she 
spent forty-two hours in answering the questions 
put to her in regard to her holy director. Nothing 
more was done for six years after the pestilence and 
then, again, it was Mother de Chantal who urged 
on the conclusion of the inquiry and the opening of 
the Bishop’s grave. We will not here dwell upon 
that impressive scene, at which the people of Annecy 
gazed in wondering joy, nor on the marvelous and 
I3i 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


solemn sight of the saintly Bishop, lying in his coffin, 
unchanged and serene, as if placed there only a few 
days before, but only tell how Mother de Chantal 
remained throughout, motionless, upon her knees, 
rapt in prayer, behind the nuns’ grating. The com- 
missaries had forbidden the body to be touched, 
under pain of excommunication, so she carefully 
abstained from kissing one of the hands, as she 
longed to do. The next day, however, she obtained 
the permission, and as she bent her head to touch 
the hand of Francis with her lips, his arm was lifted 
up and laid upon her head, with a gentle pressure, 
as if he had been living. Mother de Chantal not only 
felt the act, but several Sisters who were present, 
saw the movement of the hand and fingers, as it 
was done. The veil which she then wore is still 
preserved as a twofold relic. 

Twenty years were to elapse before Francis of 
Sales was canonized, yet in these, her latter days, 
the holy Foundress had the great consolation of 
knowing that, whether she lived to see the end or 
not, her unwearied exertions and ceaseless prayers 
had placed her Blessed Father on the altars of the 
Church. 


132 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR^MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


It was, however, but the prelude to impending 
sorrow, which had so large a part in the life of this 
valiant woman. First, Mother de Chantal’s young 
daughter-in-law, Marie de Coulanges, peacefully 
passed away, leaving in charge of Madame de 
Toulonjon, her little girl, Marie de Chantal, after¬ 
wards the famous Madame de Sevigne. The second 
was a heavier blow, the departure from this life of the 
Count de Toulonjon, when Frangoise had just given 
birth to a little son. With unshaken faith and love, 
he offered his life and all his dear ones to God and, 
after receiving the Last Sacraments, he died as he had 
lived, modest, silent, and God-fearing, a truly valiant 
man of France. To this deep sorrow, soon succeeded 
the death of M. Michel Favre, the Bishop of Geneva’s 
faithful priest. Three and twenty years had this 
true pastor been thoroughly devoted to the Visita¬ 
tion, serving the Sisters in a most painstaking and 
laborious spirit. Before he died, M. Michel thought 
it right to declare aloud his opinion that Mother de 
Chantal was one of the greatest servants of God then 
on earth. 

One of his last wishes had been the foundation of 
a second convent of the Visitation at Annecy, and 
133 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


when, only two days after his death, preliminary 
steps were taken, the holy Foundress felt that in 
Heaven he had obtained his long cherished desire. 
The establishment took place on Trinity Sunday, 
1634, just twenty-four years since, at the Gallery 
House, was sowed the one solitary seed of an Order, 
that now numbered sixty-five houses. 


CHAPTER NINTH. 

ASSEMBLY OF THE BISHOPS AT PARIS. VISITS TO 

CONVENTS. DEATH OF FIRST COMPANIONS. 

FOUNDATION OF TURIN. 1635-1639. 

In 1635, was held at Paris, the general Assembly 
of the French clergy, and the Bishop of Geneva, 
John Francis of Sales decided that Mother de 
Chantal should go there to discuss with them the 
question of a general Superior for theVisitation. His 
death delayed her departure for a time, so that it was 
not until July, 1635, that she reached Paris. In the 
presence of several Bishops, Saint Vincent de Paul, 
the Commander de Sillery, and some chief benefactors 
of the Institute, Mother de Chantal advanced with 
great modesty, and in clear and vigorous terms, that 
134 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FRfeMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


Francis of Sales had foreseen and provided for the 
maintenance of one spirit in the Order, by union 
among the houses and union and conformity with 
Annecy, “ like children with their mother,’'—‘‘receiv¬ 
ing from her not only the institutions, customs, and 
manner of acting, but also intelligence for the 
practice of them and the elucidation of difficulties.” 
Her words carried conviction to the minds of all, 
and they unanimously agreed to trust the perpetua¬ 
tion of the spirit of the holy Founder, to the golden 
bond of charity, which he had placed within it as a 
nobler and more effective bond than that of authority. 

Having obtained permission from Annecy, Mother 
de Chantal made Paris the starting-point for a 
general visit to her convents, that she might ex¬ 
amine whether the spirit of the blessed Francis was 
maintained intact, but she fell ill at Tours and was 
obliged to return to Paris for the winter. It was 
at this time that the Sisters in Paris secured the 
legacy of her heart after death, though they after¬ 
wards waived their right, in consideration of the 
services Madame de Montmorency had rendered the 
Order, and the heart was retained at Moulins. 

In April, 1636, the visitation was resumed, and 
135 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR^MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


everywhere the holy Foundress was received with 
transports of joy, and more than one miracle marked 
her progress through France. It is recorded that 
the Bishop of Rennes, with the frank simplicity of 
the Bretons, knelt down and asked for Mother de 
Chantal’s blessing, which so shocked her, that she 
could not speak a single word, but stood with tears 
in her eyes, trembling all over. Frequently she had 
to rise soon after midnight, to secure the hearing of 
Mass before starting afresh, and fasted until three or 
four o’clock in the afternoon, when she obtained 
only scanty and unpalatable food, while her days 
were spent in constant work and nearly unintermitted 
conversation, yet Mother de Chantal was ever bright, 
cheerful and uncomplaining, taking upon herself the 
weight of every burden. She would not even let 
her daughter Frangoise know when she was going 
into Burgundy, lest she should convey her in state 
to the different convents. Everywhere, she exhorted 
the religious to humility, obedience, and, above all, 
charity, so warmly, so unweariedly, that Sister 
Frangoise-Madeleine de Chaugy once said to her: 
“ Mother, I shall write to every one that you are 
like your godfather Saint John, and say nothing but 

136 




FIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR&MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


‘ Love one another.’ ” The holy Mother looked grave 
and begged the Sister not to profane the Saints’ 
names, but acknowledged that were it not for fear 
of tiring the Sisters she should never speak to them 
of anything but love. 

When about to leave Avignon, Mother de Chantal 
received an order from the Bishop to return at once 
to Annecy, as he feared that extreme fatigue would 
completely exhaust her strength, and she obeyed at 
once, going home to begin that series of interior 
trials which lasted for nine entire years. Often she 
could neither eat nor sleep, and at night was heard 
to groan in agony. It seemed to her that God had 
forsaken her, that He looked at her as an offended 
Judge, or irritated Master, and drove her away 
from His loving care. She said that nothing on 
earth gave her the least relief, but the one word 
Death , but she was bright and cheerful, met and 
conversed with the Sisters with an unchanged face, 
for, in the quaint words of Mother de Chaugy : “ In 

vain did the storms beat upon this rose of love ; it 
was always fresh and shedding its delicious fra¬ 
grance.” 

Now she was to be gradually stripped of all 

137 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FRfSMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


things, and one blow rapidly followed another. On 
June 14 1637, Mother Marie Jacqueline Favre, her 
“ great daughter,” who had borne with her the heat 
and burden of the day, joyfully and peacefully 
breathed out her soul, at the still vigorous age of 
eight and forty. Then, as if one blessed spirit re¬ 
leased had obtained leave for others to follow, 
Mother de Chantal returned from burying Mother 
Favre at Chamb£ry, only to find Mother Peronne 
Marie de Chatel, ready to depart. On the twenty- 
second of October, 1637, she gave up her soul into 
God’s Hands, at the age of fifty-one. Three weeks 
later, Mother Jane Charlotte de Brechard 'died at 
Riom, and so many signal and heroic acts were de¬ 
clared of this first of the “ foundation stones,” that 
the Acts of her Canonization were begun with those 
of Saint Chantal. The holy Mother, in her humility, 
wrote of those three cherished Sisters : “ They were 

ripe fruits meet to be served at the heavenly King’s 
table ; ” but that she was left “ hanging on the bough 
still green, or mildewed and worm-eaten.” 

In the spring of 1638, Mother de Chantal was 
again elected Superior at Annecy and, shortly after, 
was obliged to go in person to found a new Convent 
138 





LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR^MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


at Turin. Everywhere on her way, honor was paid 
to her as a saint, the peasantry left their villages in 
crowds and lined the roads, along which she passed, 
kneeling down to ask for her blessing. Some months’ 
toil were needed to establish the Convent on a firm 
footing, so that it was in 1639, that Mother de 
Chantal returned to Annecy, in anguish of mind 
about the safety of her Sisters of Turin and Pignerol, 
who were in extreme danger on account of the war 
between France and Spain, but even this calamity 
wrought good to the loyal servants of God. 

This was the last of Mother de Chantal’s founda¬ 
tions and yet, it may be said, no mention has been 
made of the work of teaching in connection with 
the Visitation. How is it that it is now so general 
in the Institute? It may be well to make a digres¬ 
sion to answer this often-repeated question. “ The 
schools of the Visitation sprang from the needs of 
the times, from the force of circumstances, much 
more than from the will of the Founders.” For a 
long time, the Sisters even refused their consent to 
the measure, but were at last constrained to yield to 
the popular desire, though with great precautions, as 
they feared that such a charge would embarrass, or 
139 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FR^MIOT DE CHANTAL. 


distract the religious. It is true Saint Francis of 
Sales allowed them to receive a few children, about 
ten or twelve years of age, “ of good sense and good 
natural disposition,” with an inclination for the 
religious life, and whose entrance was to be “ ad¬ 
vantageous to the glory of God and the prosperity 
of the Community.” These children were called 
the Sisters of the Little Habit. In time many 
more than the number allowed, in a manner forced 
the doors of these Convents, where intellectual cul¬ 
ture was united to elevation of heart and beauty of 
soul, so that boarding-schools were in existence at 
the Visitation as early as 1635. The pupils of the 
Visitation were soon to be found in the various 
walks of life, even in the highest ranks of society, 
diffusing everywhere its peculiar characteristic of 
mildness and simplicity, which is so essentially the 
spirit of the holy Founder. The only words Saint 
Chantal wrote on the subject of education are the 
following, in regard to the Sisters of the Little Habit: 
“ They shall be tenderly instructed and formed in 
spirituality, according to their little capacity,” and 
this continues to be the aim of her daughters, in the 
education of the young. 


140 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


In 1639, Archbishop Fremiot, our Saint’s brother, 
died at Paris, full of faith and joy ; she grieved much 
over this loss and sent everywhere to beg prayers for 
the departed soul. Once more, and for the last 
time, Mother de Chantal laid down her office of 
Superior, in the spring of 1641. Mother de Blonay, 
the only remaining nun of the first few chosen by 
Francis of Sales, was elected in her place ; then was 
witnessed that rare sight of a daily strife of genuine 
humility between the new Superioress and the de¬ 
posed Mother, until the Bishop interfered, and or¬ 
dered Mother de Blonay to allow the holy Foundress 
to humble herself by fidelity to the least practices of 
the Rule, after the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
“ Would to Heaven,” added the Bishop, “ that there 
might never be any contention but such as this be¬ 
tween the Superiors elect and the Superiors deposed 
of the Visitation ! ” The old memoirs tell that at this 
time, Mother de Chantal seemed so extraordinarily 
sweet and amiable, so occupied with God and eternal 
things, that many of the Sisters feared that the 
shining light of her sanctity was now at its last 
blaze of brilliancy. 




CHAPTER TENTH. 

LAST JOURNEY AND DEATH. 1641. 

Meanwhile, the widowed Duchess of Montmo¬ 
rency, who had for nine years mourned the untimely 
death of her noble husband, and who, in 1635, had 
taken up her abode at the Visitation of Moulins, 
made up her mind to enter the Order, and earnestly 
begged to receive the veil from the hands of the 
holy Foundress herself. Mother de Blonay and the 
Bishop did not like the idea of her undertaking so 
long a journey at her advanced age ; even the town 
magistrates interfered and sent a deputation to beg 
the Duke of Savoy to forbid Mother de Chantal to 
leave his dominions, but many considerations weighed 
in favor of the Duchess of Montmorency and the 
journey to Moulins was decided upon. The parting 
at Annecy was very sad, for the Sisters felt it was 
the last. As they assembled in tears around their 
holy Foundress, she spoke to them a few encourag¬ 
ing words, recommending the love of our good 
Saviour and union of hearts, and telling them of her 
142 




LIFE OF ST JANE FRANCES FRfSMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


own love of them ; then she embraced them all and 
said to each some little private word of counsel and 
remembrance. A dense crowd filled up the road 
outside the convent gate, to bid her farewell; the 
poor people came out of their doors to look at her; 
the sick dragged themselves to their windows to 
see her pass ; it was the last time Annecy saw her 
alive. On her way, Mother de Chantal paid short 
visits to several of her houses, and near Alonne 
was met by her daughter Frangoise, who was to 
convey her mother to Moulins, in her own carriage. 

Madame de Montmorency met the holy Foundress 
with reverential joy, and the latter was soon con¬ 
vinced that this grand woman was a true saint, visibly 
guided by God Himself. When the queen, Anne of 
Austria, heard of Mother de Chantal’s presence at 
Moulins, she sent for her to come to the palace of 
Saint Germain, talked to her of her own spiritual 
state and affairs, kissed her hand, and treated her 
with affectionate respect. At Paris, she was obliged 
to get up at three o’clock in the morning, to confer 
with the crowds that asked to see her, yet she was 
always calm, modest, affable, her face beaming with 
divine love and humility. Here, she had the conso- 
143 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


lation of seeing Saint Vincent de Paul and opening 
her heart to him for the last time, when she was de¬ 
livered from the nine years’ anguish of interior trials, 
which had oppressed her. Two days she spent in 
deep and earnest conversation with Mother An- 
gelique Arnaud, at Port Royal, and seems not to 
have clearly discerned the danger hanging over the 
young abbess. 

On November eleventh, Mother de Chantal left 
Paris and visited three of her houses, on her way 
back to Moulins, where the Sisters found her quite 
changed, and she herself was convinced that she had 
only come back to them to die. On the feast of the 
Immaculate Conception, having risen with the Com¬ 
munity, the holy Mother was attacked by the chills 
of fever, during meditation, but refused to go back 
to bed until after Holy Communion as, that day, it 
was exactly thirty-one years since Francis of Sales 
had allowed her to communicate daily. The physi¬ 
cian, finding the Saint seriously ill, the Blessed Sacra¬ 
ment was exposed, novenas were begun, and several 
of the Sisters offered their lives for her, but, as 
Mother de Chaugy beautifully observes : “ The wings 
of that dove, now soaring to the eternal home, were 

144 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


far stronger to bear her thither than all the means 
that were used to keep her on earth.” 

Mother de Chantal sent for the Jesuit Father de 
Lingendes, to hear her confession. On December 
twelfth, she received Holy Viaticum, raising herself 
up at the approach of her Lord and making aloud a 
fervent act of faith, after which she asked the con¬ 
fessor of the Community, in presence of the Sisters 
to give her the Holy Oils, at the proper time. When 
it was proposed to bring the Holy Viaticum again, 
shortly after midnight, she humbly refused, saying 
that the Community and the time of silence must 
not be disturbed. The next day, she was able to 
dictate her last instructions to the Order, recom¬ 
mending obedience to the intentions of Francis of 
Sales, peace with one another, and union among the 
houses begging the Sisters to show great respect, 
reverence, and confidence towards Madame de Mont¬ 
morency. Mother de Chantal concluded this beauti¬ 
ful letter, by begging the prayers of her children and 
promising to ask their Blessed Father to give them 
the spirit of humility, which alone could preserve the 
Order, then signed the letter with her own name. 
Through all the last night, Mother de Chantal never 
IO 145 



LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


slept ; she listened with great attention to the read¬ 
ing of the Passion, and asked to have read to her 
Saint Jerome’s account of Saint Paula’s death and 
the death of Saint Francis of Sales, that she might 
conform to his example. Afterwards one of the 
Sisters read to her the Ninth Chapter of his Love of 
God. About nine o’clock on the morning of Decem¬ 
ber thirteenth, the dying Saint received Extreme 
Unction and answered all the prayers; then, at the 
express desire of Father de Lingendes, she blessed 
the Sisters, all weeping round her; they came one 
by one, to kiss her hand, and she spoke to each a last 
little word of advice. Once during the day, Mother 
de Chantal suddenly recalled the priest and said : “ O 
Father! I assure you God’s judgments are terrible,” 
and, on his asking her if she was frightened, she 
answered: “Not so; but I assure you God’s judg¬ 
ments are terrible!” Towards evening, the Com¬ 
munity came to say the prayers for the departing 
soul, and Father de Lingendes having said to her 
that God having given us our soul through love, it is 
love which causes Him to take it back to Himself, a 
thrill of joy passed through her, and she answered : 
“ Oh, how sweet is that thought! ” 

146 




LIFE OF ST. JANE FRANCES FREMIOT DE CHANTAL. 


A blessed taper was then lighted and put into one 
hand, the crucifix, with the little bag, containing her 
profession of faith and her vows, in the other; she 
was breathing with difficulty, and Father de Lin- 
gendes said : “ Mother, these sharp pains are the 
cry which announces the Bridegroom’s coming. He 
is here, He is at hand ; will you go forth to meet 
Him?” 

“Yes, Father,” she answered, “ I am going. 
Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!”—and immediately her soul 
went forth to its rest in God. 

Madame de Montmorency closed the eyes and 
kissed the feet of the Saint, bathing them with her 
tears. While preparing for the burial, she and the 
Sisters discovered and venerated the sacred Name of 
Jesus, branded indelibly on her side. After the body 
was embalmed, by Madame de Montmorency’s 
orders, it lay in the chapel for two days, to satisfy 
the devotion of the crowds, and then this blessed 
body, “ in which so noble a guest had lodged,” was 
secretly carried away to Annecy, that, according to 
Mother de Chantal’s own wish, she might rest at the 
cradle of the holy Order, not far from the relics of 
its blessed Founder. 


H7 




















> -M 


















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■ 




























LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET 
MARY ALACOQUE. 


LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY 
ALACOQUE. 


CHAPTER FIRST. 

CHILDHOOD AND EARLY YEARS. 

Not far from the old manor of Terreau, in the 
village of Verosvres, in the Charolais, away from the 
noise of the highways, was born, on the twenty- 
second of July, 1647, one whom our Lord had chosen 
to be the apostle of His Sacred Heart and to love 
Him not less ardently than His penitent lover, Saint 
Mary Magdalen, whose feast is celebrated on that 
day. The father of Margaret Mary Alacoque was 
judge of Terreau, remarkable for his uncommon lib¬ 
erality towards the poor, though he possessed but a 
very moderate fortune. The good use he thus made 
of his means drew down the blessing of God upon 
his marriage with Philiberte Lamyn. They had four 

151 





LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


children, three boys and an only girl, Margaret, who 
was baptized three days after her birth, her god¬ 
mother being Marguerite de Saint-Amour, wife of 
Claude de Fautri&res-Corcheval, lord of Verosvres. 

“ From her tenderest years, grace reigned supreme 
in the heart of this privileged child and, young as 
she was, her conversation was in Heaven, for where 
her Treasure was, there also was her heart. Madame 
de Fautri£res was desirous to undertake the educa¬ 
tion of her godchild, and Margaret was accordingly 
sent to Corcheval, when only four years of age. 
Notwithstanding the luxury of her surroundings and 
the dangerous influence of a worldly-minded woman, 
to whose care the child was intrusted, Margaret’s 
soul remained pure and unsullied. With a super¬ 
natural instinct, she felt that God did not dwell in 
the heart of this person, therefore she avoided the 
woman’s society, and sought that of another atten¬ 
dant, who led the life of a good Christian, though 
her unprepossessing exterior was little calculated to 
win the child’s affection.” 

“ Margaret found her greatest happiness in prayer, 
and as there was a chapel attached to the castle, it 
was easy for her to follow this attraction. There, 
152 



life of blessed Margaret mary alacoque. 


she was to be found, kneeling as close as possible to 
the Tabernacle, her hands joined, and, in the fervor 
of her love, resembling the Angels, whose purity she 
already strove to imitate.” The thought that then 
occupied Margaret was, as she herself tells us, “ to 
consume herself in our Lord’s presence, as the can¬ 
dles she saw burning on the altars.” “ Margaret felt 
constantly urged to repeat the following words, with¬ 
out understanding their meaning : ‘ My God, I con¬ 

secrate to Thee my purity, and I make to Thee a 
vow of perpetual Chastity,’ ” and, one day in partic¬ 
ular, she pronounced these words between the two 
Elevations at Mass. It was thus our Lord permeated 
this chosen soul, with the blessings of His sweetness,” 
while our Blessed Mother watched with maternal 
care over the little betrothed of her divine Son. 
Every day, Margaret said the beads, kneeling on the 
bare ground, which she kissed at each “ Hail Mary.” 

“ On her return to Verosvres, Margaret continued 
in the same holy dispositions, her only desire being 
to hide herself from the eyes of the world, the better 
to enjoy intimate union with her God. She was 
never happier than when she could retire into the 
woods and spend long hours in uninterrupted prayer, 

153 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


and had she been sure of unbroken solitude, would 
willingly have become a hermit in the beautiful 
woods of Burgundy. As Saint Teresa had, in her 
childhood, longed to seek among the Moors the 
crown of martyrdom, so did our little Margaret long 
to take refuge in some solitary spot, to devote her¬ 
self to prayer. Without leaving her country, or 
shedding her blood, she discovered the secret of lead¬ 
ing a life of perpetual sacrifice; and the severity 
with which she even then treated her innocent body, 
was but a prelude to the thirst for sufferings which 
was one day to consume her soul.” 

“ It was not long before the cross was presented 
to this generous heart. Margaret’s sorrows com¬ 
menced with the death of her father, when she was 
not yet eight years old. Her mother then sent her 
to school to the Urbanists, Poor Clares of the miti¬ 
gated rule, at Charolles, where she made her First 
Communion “ and conceived the desire of being a 
religious, that she might become a saint, like the 
nuns, with whom she lived.” “ Beloved by her mis¬ 
tresses and companions, Margaret might have been 
attracted to the innocent pleasures of her age, but 
our Lord took care to mingle such bitterness with 
154 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


all her little enjoyments, that the child soon learned 
the vanity of everything in this world, and that God 
alone is capable of satisfying the human heart.” 

Then, too, our Lord visited Margaret with a se¬ 
rious illness, which brought her tp the verge of the 
grave. Having been taken home, she continued for 
four years in this pitiable state of unspeakable suffer¬ 
ing and unable to walk. Her malady baffled the 
skill of the physicians, and was to be cured by no 
human means. Heaven itself was to interpose. No 
sooner had Margaret made a vow that, if she re¬ 
covered her health, she would become a religious, a 
daughter of the Blessed Virgin, in some strict order, 
devoted to honor this Mother of mercy, than our 
Lady vouchsafed at once to cure her client. Mar¬ 
garet tells us that Mary then became the Mistress of 
her heart, reproved her for her faults, and taught 
her to do the will of God. She adds : “ It happened 
once that, having seated myself to say my Rosary, 
she appeared to me and gave me this reproof, which 
has never been effaced from my mind, although I 
was then very young: * What! my daughter, is it 
thus negligently that you serve me?’” The impres¬ 
sion produced lasted, indeed, her whole life. 

155 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


With the return of health, there awoke in Mar¬ 
garet’s heart the love of the world and its amuse¬ 
ments, for which she had a natural inclination. She 
tells us that she began to take pleasure in dress and 
every kind of diversion, but God’s designs were very 
different from hers, and He, whose Sacred Heart 
had “ brought her forth with so much pain on 
Calvary,” soon showed her that the life He there 
gave her could be sustained only by the food of the 
cross. 

“ After the death of her husband, Madame Ala- 
coque was deprived of all authority in her own house 
and was soon reduced to a sort of social captivity 
shared by her daughter.” They had no power 
whatever and could do nothing without the per¬ 
mission of three persons, on whose caprice they 
were dependent. These circumstances made their 
lives a continued martyrdom, one long succession of 
acts of abnegation and self-denial, but it was then 
that Margaret’s whole affection turned towards the 
Blessed Sacrament, in which she sought all her pleas¬ 
ure and consolation. The heaviest of her crosses in 
this state of absolute dependence was being unable to 
alleviate her mother’s sufferings in her frequent 
156 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


illnesses. This the poor girl felt especially when 
her mother had a severe attack of erysipelas in 
the head, about which no one was troubled, for 
which no one thought to provide a remedy. Being 
assured by a petty village surgeon, who was called in 
to bleed the patient that, unless by miracle , she could 
not recover , Margaret was in desolation, but she 
turned with confidence to our Lord and His Blessed 
Mother, who had never failed her. Her prayer was 
immediately heard, for an abscess broke, and with 
only such care as her inexperienced nurse could give 
her, Madame Alacoque was, in a few days, perfectly 
restored to health. 

Sorrow came also in the death of two of her 
brothers in the very flower of youth, but Margaret’s 
own sufferings made her better able to sympathize 
with others, and especially with the misery of the 
poor. In their person, she saw Jesus Christ, her 
Saviour and her God; to please Him, no sacrifice 
was great enough, no self-denial hard enough, and 
it was her joy to dress and kiss their wounds. For 
love of Him, the young girl attracted to herself, by 
little gifts of money, poor children, in order to teach 
them their prayers and the catechism. Soon, she 

1 57 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


gathered round her quite a little band, but was often 
at a loss, in winter-time, for a suitable place in 
which to give the instruction. One day, her brother 
Chrysostom, coming unexpectedly upon her, sur¬ 
rounded by these little ones, said : “ Sister, do you 
intend to become a school-mistress ? ”—to which 
she gently replied: “No, brother, but these poor 
children will probably remain altogether without in¬ 
struction, if I do not teach them.” Sometimes, it was 
one of those that ruled the house that surprised the 
ardent teacher, and then both she and her eager little 
pupils were peremptorily dismissed from the room, 
in which they were assembled. 


CHAPTER SECOND. 

MARGARET’S VOCATION. HER RECEPTION AND PRO¬ 
FESSION AT THE VISITATION. 


Meanwhile, Margaret’s soul was a prey to fierce 
interior struggles, which all her exterior good works, 
her austerities, and even her prayers, seemed power- 
158 




LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


less to allay. For a long time, her patient God had 
been pleading with her young heart, pursuing her 
without truce, urging her to yield to the sweet at¬ 
tractions of His grace, which was drawing her to the 
cloister. In her better moments Margaret promised 
more faithful correspondence to this grace, but 
weeks and months passed on, while her family ties, 
especially her tenderness for her mother, seemed 
ever to tighten the bonds of earth. She was now 
eighteen years old, beautiful and attractive, and re¬ 
ceived many advantageous offers of marriage, which 
her family urged her to accept. Her mother, with 
many tears, besought her daughter to take the step, 
which alone could free her from the thraldom under 
which she groaned. 

Margaret began to mingle with the world, to dress 
to please it, and to give herself up to its deceitful 
pleasures. Our Lord, on His side, pleaded, warned, 
reproached and threatened ; He even deigned to 
present Himself to her, as He was when Pilate said: 
“ Behold the Man,” or again, as loaded with His 
cross. One evening, when Margaret had retired to 
her room, and was taking off the dress, which she 
had worn with some little satisfaction during the 
159 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


day, the Son of God appeared to her in the state in 
which He was after His cruel scourging, His sacred 
body bruised, torn, bleeding. He told her that it 
was her vanity which had reduced Him to this state ; 
that by her irresolution she was losing time, of 
which He should demand a rigorous account at her 
death, and that she was betraying Him by her in¬ 
fidelity. He compared her ingratitude with all the 
proofs of love He had given her, in order to induce 
her to make herself in all things agreeable to Him. 
These reproaches threw Margaret into a state of in¬ 
expressible grief, she wept bitterly and seemed 
about to yield, but the inward strife recommenced, 
her hesitations were greater than ever. Our blessed 
Lord made, as it were, a last effort to triumph over 
this chosen soul, who, one day, after Holy Com¬ 
munion, allowed Him to make her the conquest 
of His love, by these words : “ If you remain faith¬ 
ful to Me and desire to follow Me, I will teach 
you to know Me, and I will manifest Myself to 

99 

you. 

From that moment, Margaret resolved to die 
rather than change, and clung to her Crucifix as her 
only teacher. In this sacred school of divine love, 
16© 





LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


she strengthened her soul for the last struggle with 
a world which had so nearly enslaved her by its 
charms. When almost crushed with anguish, or 
sinking beneath her burden, she learned to turn for 
comfort to Him “ who has borne our sorrows and 
healed our infirmities; ” and casting herself at the 
foot of the cross, Margaret would say : “ O sweet 
Saviour, how happy should I be, if Thou wouldst 
imprint in me the likeness of Thy sufferings ! ” and 
our gracious Lord replied : “ This is what I intend 
to do, provided you do not resist Me and do your 
part.” The extraordinary love of suffering, which 
henceforth distinguishes Margaret, suffices to attest 
the sanctity of her pure and holy soul. 

During the long years of struggle between nature 
and grace this fervent girl had been endeavoring to 
reproduce in herself sufferings similar to those of 
our Saviour, wounded with love for man, and her 
austerities were such that the sturdiest courage 
shrinks from the mere mention of them. Sustained 
by the victorious grace, which had been her strength 
in her most fearful struggles, she did not now recoil 
from the last trials that must precede her final adieu 
to home and friends. 

11 


161 





LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


It was our Blessed Mother herself who consoled 
her child during this period of her probation, and 
who said to her lovingly : “ Fear nothing; you will 
be my true daughter, and I shall ever be your good 
Mother.” Our Lady even assured Margaret that, 
notwithstanding opposition and difficulty, she would 
one day be a religious in an order consecrated to 
her. The Ursuline Convent at Macon had been 
proposed to her, and later the Visitation of Macon 
and Charolles, but she felt that her good Master had 
not marked her place in any of these. As soon, 
however, as Paray was named, her heart was filled 
with joy, and she at once consented to ask her ad¬ 
mission into that convent. Her brother Chrysostom 
went with her to Paray, and when they entered the 
parlor of the Visitation, Margaret distinctly heard 
the words : “ It is here I want you to be.” She 
told her brother that he must arrange and conclude 
everything, as she would never go elsewhere. 
Joy shone upon her countenance, so that the re¬ 
ligious said laughingly: “Just see her! she looks 
like a religious indeed,” and she herself says : “ I 
wore more vain adornments than I had ever done, 
and was also gayer, because of the interior joy that 
162 




LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


I felt at seeing myself about to be consecrated en¬ 
tirely to my Sovereign Good.” 

Margaret returned to Verosvres, set her temporal 
affairs in order, and was ready to take leave of the 
world on the twentieth of June, 1671. Her fare¬ 
wells were heart-rending, never was there so much 
tenderness, desolation and grief on one side, so much 
firmness on the other. Her mother covered her 
with tears and kisses, but Margaret was unmoved, 
“ like one of those large trees that the winds and 
storms attack on every side, but which remains un¬ 
shaken, because its roots are deeply planted in the 
soil.” But as God willed that no beauty of nature 
or grace should be wanting to this great sacrifice, 
hardly had she left her mother, than her soul be¬ 
came the prey of immense and indescribable anguish, 
so that it seemed to her as if it were about to leave 
her body, but she pursued her way, and made her 
definitive entrance into that convent, which she 
loved to call her “ dear Paray.” Margaret was then 
in her twenty-fourth year. 

When about to enter the enclosure, she was again 
assailed by a violent interior conflict, but our Lord 
was waiting to inundate her soul with consolation, 
163 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


and the moment she crossed the threshold of the 
house of the Lord, her trouble ceased. It was mani¬ 
fested to her that her Beloved had removed “ the 
sackcloth of her captivity and clothed her with the 
robe of gladness ; ” by aid of His triumphant grace, 
she now belonged to Him forever. 

The convent of Paray-le-Monial had been founded 
on September fourth, 1626, by a colony from the 
Monastery of Lyons. On Margaret’s entrance in 
1671, it was governed by the venerated Mother Mar- 
guerite-Hi£ronyme Hersant, professed of the first 
house of Paris. The Mistress of the Novices was 
the now venerable Sister Anne Frances Thouvant, 
the first of the young girls of Paray to take the 
veil, in 1627. Both these Sisters, who were noted 
alike for their sanctity and experience, gave Mar¬ 
garet a tender and maternal welcome, though they 
little suspected the treasure with which God was 
enriching their humble convent. Yet, soon perceiv¬ 
ing that she was a soul favored by Heaven, they 
dealt out to her with unsparing hand the food of the 
saints, trials and contradictions. The first word ad¬ 
dressed to Margaret, the day after her entrance, by 
the venerable Sister Anne Frances Thouvant will 
164 




LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


ever remain celebrated. The postulant, sincerely 
believing that she knew nothing about prayer, be¬ 
sought her mistress to teach her that sacred science. 
Sister Anne Frances replied : “ Go—place yourself 
before God, like canvas before a painter ! ”—words 
brief but full, in which Margaret found the secret 
of prayer. She went at once to prostrate herself 
at our Lord’s feet, in obedience to her mistress, 
and her Sovereign Master made known to her 
that her soul was the canvas, on which He desired 
to paint the features of His suffering life, but 
that first He must purify it from every stain, 
from every affection to earthly things, from love of 
self and of creatures, to which she was still greatly 
inclined. 

A little more than two months were passed in 
strenuous efforts to attain the perfection of the In¬ 
stitute and become in the full sense of the word, a 
“ Holy Mary,” as the Sisters were styled ; at the end 
of this time, the nuns gave her the holy Habit, on 
the feast of Saint Louis, August twenty-fifth, 1671, 
and added Mary to her name of Margaret. On that 
day, our Lord showed Himself to her as the true 
Lover of her soul, as the One she had chosen above 

165 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE, 

all, as the One who would indemnify her for all she 
had left for Him, making her taste what is sweetest 
in the sweetness of His love, so that this privileged 
soul asked herself: “ Shall I then never be able to 
suffer for Him whom I love so much?” But she 
soon learned that, in the spiritual life, one may suf¬ 
fer and rejoice, and the sharpest pain is often accom¬ 
panied by holiest consolation ; this reassured her 
and prepared her for the severe reproofs that her 
great consolations in prayer sometimes brought 
upon her. Sister Anne Frances thought it her duty 
to inform the novice that her extraordinary ways 
were not in accordance with the humble spirit of 
the Visitation, and that if she did not change, she 
could not be admitted to Profession. To aid her to 
overcome her state of absorption, Sister Margaret 
Mary was given as aid to the Infirmarian, who had 
instructions to keep her constantly employed, so 
that, during the time of prayer, she was sent to 
sweep the corridors and cells, or weed the garden. 
Humbly and cheerfully, the fervent novice dis¬ 
charged these laborious duties, having ever before 
her eyes the invisible Object of her love. “ She 
contemplated Him, she listened to Him, she lived 
166 






LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


under the continual charm of His Presence and 
sang, as she worked: 

The more they contradict my love, 

The more that love inflames. 

By day, by night, they torture me, 

But cannot break my chains. 

Closer does He my heart enchain 

The more I suffer pain. 

Meanwhile, Sister Margaret Mary’s year of proba¬ 
tion came to an end, and she had not the happiness 
of making her holy Vows, as the Sisters feared 
that, perhaps, she was not intended to live out her 
life at the Visitation. She poured out her grief to 
our Lord, saying: “Alas! my Lord, wilt Thou be. 
the cause of my being sent away ? ” to which the 
gracious Lord replied: “Tell your Superior that 
she has nothing to fear in receiving you ; that I 
will answer for you and be your security.” Mother 
Mary Frances de Saumaise, who governed the Com¬ 
munity in 1672, ordered the novice to ask our Lord, 
as a proof of the fidelity of His promises, to render 
her useful, and He vouchsafed to do so, adding that 
it would be in a manner known only to Himself. 
After three months’ hesitation and reflection, the 
167 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


Sisters at last fixed Sister Margaret Mary’s Profes¬ 
sion for the sixth of November. 

During her preparatory retreat a trifling incident 
proved how far she carried the simplicity of obedi¬ 
ence. The noviceshad received an injunction to see 
that an ass and its foal, which had been purchased 
for the use of a sick Sister, did not stray into the 
kitchen garden. Margaret- Mary, not feeling that 
the exercises of the retreat dispensed her from 
this duty, spent all her time running after these 
animals, who were strongly tempted by the garden 
herbs. She was doing what God wished her to do, 
what more could she desire ? The reward soon came : 
her gracious Lord appeared to her in a little cluster 
of hazel-nut trees and communicated to her an inti¬ 
mate knowledge of the mysteries of His holy Passion 
and Death. Margaret Mary always called this 
hallowed spot her “ place of grace.” 

But meagre details are given us of Margaret Mary’s 
Profession, but we seem to know perfectly the senti¬ 
ments that filled her heart, the graces with which 
she was inundated. The Lord appeared to her and 
said : “ Up to this time, I have been your Betrothed. 
I shall henceforth be your Spouse,” and Margaret 
168 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


Mary, touched to the depths of her soul, wrote with 
her blood a total consecration of herself to her Be¬ 
loved. Never, perhaps, did a novice sing with 
greater exultation the words of the ceremonial: 
“ Here is my rest and here will I abide forever. 


CHAPTER THIRD. 

SPECIAL FAVORS. FIRST REVELATION OF THE 
SACRED HEART. 

“ THE year following the Profession of Sister Mar¬ 
garet Mary resembled the first days of spring, when 
nature suddenly breaks forth perfumed and blos¬ 
somed : ” from the day of her solemn Vows, so 
rapid was her increase in virtue, that the whole 
Community looked on in wondering admiration. 
The newly professed was never to swerve from the 
line of conduct that, under the guidance of her 
Sovereign Master, she traced out for herself: 

“ All in God and nothing in self 1 
All to God and nothing to self 1 
All for God and nothing for self! ” 

Our Lord had said to her: “ Behold the Wound 
I69 




LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


of My Side, wherein you are to make your abode, 
both now and forever.” Within this sacred Abode, 
Margaret Mary daily concealed herself more and 
more, until the hour when, at the will of the Master, 
she should come forth to instruct other souls in the 
salutary science of dwelling in the Sacred Heart of 
Jesus. 

If Saint Francis of Sales says that God outlines 
His saints on Mount Thabor, but perfects them on 
Calvary, it was our Lord Himself who taught Mar¬ 
garet Mary their meaning. Not long after her pro¬ 
fession, He placed before her eyes, a large cross, 
covered with flowers, assuring her that gradually 
these flowers would disappear, until there remained 
naught but the thorns hidden beneath. This an¬ 
nouncement from the lips of Eternal Truth filled her 
heart with gladness, for she had feared never to have 
sufferings enough to satisfy the burning thirst for 
them that gave her no rest by night or by day. 
“I cannot find any sweeter rest,” she says,than 
to feel my whole being drowned in humiliations, 
contempt, and contradictions,” and her actions 
corresponded to her words, for, to use the expres¬ 
sion of one of her Superiors, Margaret Mary would 
170 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


have martyrized her body, with vigils, disciplines, 
and mortifications. 

Margaret Mary’s spirit of faith caused her to be¬ 
hold God equally present everywhere, so that she 
performed carefully the duties assigned her in the 
various offices of the convent, but her favorite oc¬ 
cupation was singing His praises at holy office 
Many times, however, was she deprived of this con¬ 
solation, on account of loss of voice, though she 
was not the less united to Him, by the profound 
annihilation, with which, from the depth of her low¬ 
liness she, by her loving silence, adored His Su¬ 
preme Being. On one of these occasions when, dur¬ 
ing Matins, Margaret Mary was meditating with deep 
recollection on the words of the Te Deum , then 
being sung by the choir, suddenly a heavenly light 
of indescribable brilliancy rested upon her folded 
arms, in the form of a little child. A flood of sweet¬ 
ness filled her soul, but fearing the wiles of the evil 
one, she said : “ If it be Thou, O my God, enable 
me to sing Thy praises.” At once, her voice re¬ 
turned, and fervently indeed she pursued with her 
Sisters the chant of the Te Deum, undeterred and 
not diverted by the caresses lavished on her by 
171 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


the divine Babe. Our blessed Lord was so pleased 
with this, that He said to her: “ I willed to test your 
motive in singing My praises. Had you been for 
a moment less attentive, I should have retired.” 
Another time, it was our Blessed Mother who ap¬ 
peared, and placing the Infant Jesus in the arms of 
the holy nun, said: “Behold Him, who will teach 
you what you are to do.” 

Margaret Mary’s whole life was but a long and 
almost unbroken succession of such supernatural 
favors, so that the Sisters, inspired with enthusiastic 
admiration, asked : “ What can it be ? What passes 
between God and this soul, during those long 
hours of ecstasy ? Is it illusion ? Or, is God acting 
in her? and for what end?” Even before what are 
called the great Revelations , her loving Saviour had, 
by many interior communications, revealed to her 
His Sacred Heart, but now He was about to open 
it to her, to discover to her the wonders of His 
love, and the inexplicable secrets of that adorable 
Heart. On the twenty-seventh of December, 1673, 
when Margaret Mary was praying before the Blessed 
Sacrament, her Lord appeared, and made her repose 
for a long time on His sacred Breast. He said to 
172 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


her: “ My divine Heart is so passionately in love 
with men, that It can no longer contain within It¬ 
self the flames of its burning charity ; It must pour 
them out by your means.” Formerly, this Heart had 
shown Itself in cloisters, to chosen souls, now It 
would manifest Itself to the multitude in order to 
melt the icy coldness of Christian hearts. “ Such 
was the meaning of the first apparition, in which 
Margaret Mary had learned two things: the first, 
that God could not contain within His Heart the 
secrets of His love ; the second, that He would make 
use of her, to reveal them to the world.” 

Six months of peace, recollection, silence, and steady 
progress in humility and the love of God, followed 
this first revelation. It was in this interval, that 
once, when the Sisters were all working together, 
picking hemp, Margaret Mary retired, as was her 
wont, into a little court near the Blessed Sacrament. 
The adorable Heart of her Jesus, more brilliant than 
the sun, was present to her, in the midst of flames, 
surrounded by Seraphim, who sang with ravishing 
melody: 

“ Love triumphs, Love rejoices ; 

The Love of the Sacred Heart exults with jdy.” 

1/3 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


These Blessed Spirits invited Margaret Mary to 
unite with them in praising the amiable Heart, but 
she dared not. Then they told her that they had 
come to associate themselves with her in rendering It 
a continual homage of love, adoration and praise and. 
at the same time, they wrote this association in the 
Sacred Heart in letters of gold and ineffaceable charac¬ 
ters of love. Henceforth, in praying to the Angels, she 
could no longer mention them but as her “ associates.” 

Such visions were frequently vouchsafed to Mar¬ 
garet Mary and, every First Friday of the month, 
the Sacred Heart was represented to her as a brilliant 
light, whose rays fell on her heart and inflamed it with 
a fire so ardent, that it seemed as if about to be reduced 
to ashes. “ Once,” she said, “ this loving Heart was 
shown to me, transpierced and torn with blows.” 
Another time, “ pierced with light, like a fathomless 
abyss, opened by an immeasurable arrow.” Again 
Margaret Mary tells us: “ Generally, the thorns of 
the crown surrounded the Heart so closely and pressed 
It so violently, that it was wounded in every part 
and the blood flowed in streams,” exemplifying the 
words of the Imitation: “ Without sorrow, there is 
no living in love,” 


174 






CHAPTER FOURTH. 


SECOND AND THIRD REVELATIONS. FATHER DE LA 
COLOMBIERE. 

» 

After having, in the first revelation, shown the 
true principle of the new devotion, a love whose 
flames He could no longer confine in His Heart, 
Jesus, in the second apparition, revealed its character, 
expiation for the crimes of the world, consolation 
for His forsaken Heart. This took place in the year 
1674, probably on the Friday in the octave of Corpus 
Christi, but it is the only one of which we have not 
the exact date. Margaret Mary herself will relate 
it: “ Once, when the Blessed Sacrament was exposed 
. . . my sweet Master presented Himself to me. He 
was brilliant with glory ; His Five Wounds shone like 
five suns. Flames darted forth from all parts of His 
sacred humanity, but especially from His adorable 
Breast, which resembled a furnace and which, open¬ 
ing, displayed to me His loving and amiable Heart, 
the living Source of these flames.” He complained in 
heartrending accents of the ingratitude of mankind, 
175 


LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


telling her that He felt their coldness more than all 
He suffered in His Passion, “ because,” He added, 
“ if they made Me some return, I should esteem little 
all I have done for them. . . . Do you, at least, con¬ 
sole and rejoice Me, by supplying as much as you 
can for their ingratitude.” Margaret Mary excused 
herself on the plea of incapacity, but Jesus bade her 
“ Fear not,” and promised to supply all that was 
wanting to her. Then, to use her own words: 
“ The divine Heart being opened, there came forth 
a flame so ardent, that I thought I should be con¬ 
sumed.” 

The Lord now asked two things of her: the first, 
to communicate every First Friday of the month, no 
matter what mortification or humiliation it might 
cause her ; the second, to rise between eleven o’clock 
and midnight, on the night between Thursday and 
Friday, of every week, and to prostrate for an hour 
with her face to the ground, in expiation of the sins 
of men, and to console His Heart for the general 
desertion, to which the weakness of the Apostles in 
the Garden of Olives had been only a slight prelude. 
Such was the origin of the devotion, known as the 
“ Holy Hour.” Margaret Mary related this remark- 
176 




LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


able favor to her Superior, Mother Marie-Frangoise 
de Saumaise who, whether she believed her or not, or 
feigned not to believe her, humbled her as deeply as 
she could, which caused the fervent Sister “ inconceiv¬ 
able joy.” 

In the same year, 1674, on the feast of Saint John 
the Evangelist, December twenty-seventh, the 
blessed Sister had another vision almost similar to 
that of 1673. She was allowed the ineffable happi¬ 
ness of reclining on the Breast of her divine Master, 
as the beloved disciple had done at the Last Supper. 
She saw the Heart of Jesus upon a throne of fire and 
flames, more dazzling than the sun and transparent 
as crystal; it was encircled by a crown of thorns and 
surmounted by a cross, while the Wound was dis¬ 
tinctly visible. Our Lord revealed to His servant 
that these instruments of the Passion signified the 
immense love of His Heart for men, and that the 
cross had been implanted in this Heart from the 
first moment of the Incarnation. He assured her 
that He took singular pleasure in being honored 
under the figure of this Heart of flesh, and that when¬ 
ever this image should be exposed for special vener¬ 
ation, it would draw down all kinds of blessings. 
12 177 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


Her adorable Master ended this sublime colloquy 
with His humble lover by the following words: “ I 
have a burning thirst to be honored and loved 
by men in the Blessed Sacrament, and I find hardly 
any one, who strives, according to My desire, 
to allay this thirst by making Me some return of 
love.” 

Meanwhile, Superiors became more and more em¬ 
barrassed about the “ extraordinary ways ” of the 
young Sister, and conferences with learned people 
led to the conclusion that, in her case, there was much 
imagination, a little natural temperament and, per¬ 
haps, some illusion of the evil spirit. The poor 
Sister knew not which way to turn, when, one day, 
pouring out her fears and anxieties to her Lord, He 
promised soon to send to Paray one of His faithful 
servants to reassure her and lead her in the way He 
would trace out for her. Events proved that this 
faithful servant was Father Claude de la Colombiere, 
who came in time for the greatest perplexities, almost 
on the eve of the third, last and most important of 
the great revelations. 

During the octave of Corpus Christi, June six¬ 
teenth, 1675, Margaret Mary was on her knees be- 
178 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


fore the choir grate, her eyes fixed on the Taber¬ 
nacle, when our Lord appeared upon the Altar, dis¬ 
closed to her His Heart, and said : “ Behold this 
Heart which has so loved men, that It has spared 
nothing, even to exhausting and consuming Itself, in 
order to testify Its love. In return I receive from 
the greater part nothing but ingratitude, by their ir¬ 
reverence and sacrilege, and by the coldness and con¬ 
tempt they have for Me in the Sacrament of love. 
But what I feel still more is that they are hearts con¬ 
secrated to Me, that treat Me thus. On this account, 
I ask you that the first Friday after the Octave of 
Corpus Christi be set apart fora special feast to honor 
My Heart, by communicating on that day and mak¬ 
ing reparation to It, by a solemn act, to repair the 
indignities which It has received during the time It 
has remained exposed upon My altars. I also prom¬ 
ise you that My Heart shall expand Itself to shed 
in abundance the influence of Its divine love upon 
those who shall render It this honor, or procure its 
being rendered.” 

Astonished at such a mission, but one word es¬ 
caped Margaret Mary: “Lord, how can I?” To 
this the Lord made answer: “ Address yourself to 




LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


My servant, Father de la Colombiere, who has been 
sent expressly for the accomplishment of this design 
and tell him from Me to do what he can to establish 
this devotion and give this pleasure to My divine 
Heart.” 

Father de la Colombiere had no difficulty in re¬ 
assuring Margaret Mary’s Superiors in regard to the 
truth of her visions and revelations, and confirmed 
her in the mysterious ways by which the Lord was 
leading her. Thus fortified, she solemnly conse¬ 
crated herself to the divine Heart of Jesus, as did 
also Father de la Colombiere, on the Friday after 
the octave of Corpus Christi, which fell that year, 
1675, on the twenty-first of June. The great work 
was inaugurated : the first conquests of the Heart 
of Jesus were the holy priest and the humble religious 
who, henceforth, neglected no opportunity of work¬ 
ing for the accomplishment of the divine purposes of 
love. The adorable Master continued to lavish His 
choicest favors on Margaret Mary’s soul, and on one 
occasion He said to her: “ I constitute you heiress of 
My Heart and all Its treasures for time and eternity, 
permitting you to employ them as you will; and I 
promise you that you shall never fail to receive as- 
180 





LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


sistance, till My Heart shall be wanting in power. 
You shall be forever Its beloved disciple.” 

But the devotion to the Sacred Heart was still 
hidden in the silence and solitude of the cloister, and 
before it could cross the threshold and be revealed 
to the entire world, Margaret Mary must drink still 
more deeply of the chalice of trial and contradic¬ 
tion. 


CHAPTER FIFTH. 

TRIALS. DEATH OF FATHER DE LA COLOMBlfeRE. 
‘ THE DEVOTION TO THE SACRED HEART IN THE 
NOVICIATE. TRIUMPH IN THE COMMUNITY. 

The hour was fast approaching when she who had 
been chosen to make known to the world the inef¬ 
fable mysteries of the Heart of Jesus, was to learn 
them herself by painful experience. The cross that 
Margaret Mary had so long asked for, was to be 
worthy of Him who had promised it and of her who 
had so eagerly desired it. 

Shortly after the last sublime revelation, her en¬ 
lightened director, Father de la Colombikre, was sent 
181 






LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


in haste to England, to occupy an important post at 
court, leaving the humble religious alone to face her 
perilous mission. Her fears were calmed by an in¬ 
terior voice which seemed to say to her : “ Does not 
God suffice for you ? ” 

Soon the Heart of Jesus, crowned with thorns and 
pierced with a lance, impressed upon her body Its 
own living image. One morning, when she was 
drawing water from the well in the middle of the 
courtyard, the long iron handle that served to raise 
the bucket, swung violently round and struck Mar¬ 
garet Mary on the face with such force, that it broke 
away a portion of her gums with several teeth. She 
was lifted up, bruised and bleeding, but smiling, and 
the only notice she took of the accident was to ask 
one of the pupils, whose mistress she then was, to 
cut off a piece of flesh, which remained attached by 
one end. The child, horrified at seeing the Sister 
in such a state, refused to touch it, so Margaret 
Mary quietly took a pair of scissors and severed it 
herself. The terrible pain she suffered threw light 
upon a vision she had had a short time before of the 
Sacred Heart, resplendent as the sun and, in the 
centre of the glory, our Lord, holding a crown of 
182 






LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


thorns in His Hand. He laid the crown on Mar¬ 
garet Mary’s head, telling her it was a sign of the 
one that would soon be given her to render her con¬ 
formable to Him. Courageously and joyously, she 
endured this conformity with her thorn-crowned 
Spouse, as also a mysterious pain in her side, which 
seemed to consume and burn her alive and increased 
on the First Friday of every month. Besides this, 
Jesus communicated to the fervent religious some¬ 
thing of the thirst that He endured in His agony and 
appeared to her with a cross in His Hand, telling 
her to receive it and plant it in her heart. From 
that day, Margaret Mary became a compound of suf¬ 
fering that made her an object of pity, a living copy 
of the wounded Heart of Jesus. “ Miracles were of 
constant recurrence in her life and repeatedly our 
Lord either cured her, or increased her sufferings, ac¬ 
cording to the commands she received from her 
Superiors to ask for health, or again for sickness, as 
proofs of the divine character of her revelations.” 

A new Superioress, Mother Peronne-Rosalie 
Greyfie, of Annecy, having replaced Mother Marie 
Fran^oise de Saumaise, seemed to have been dele¬ 
gated for no other end, than by the severity and 

183 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


courage of her examination, to throw splendor on 
Margaret Mary’s virtue and the supernatural char¬ 
acter of her mission. Margaret Mary loved this good 
Mother with deep affection, always rendered greater 
by gratitude for the trials she received. So act the 
Saints! 

Margaret Mary was not content with appeasing 
the anger of God towards the living, but also en¬ 
deavored to satisfy by her sufferings the justice of 
God in regard to the poor souls in Purgatory. She 
was often surrounded by her “ good suffering friends,” 
as she used to call them, and many secrets of the other 
world were revealed to her by these prisoners of 
divine Justice. The future also was not hidden 
from her; and when inspired by the Holy Spirit, she 
often foretold coming events, as she did in regard to 
Father de la Colombi^re’s death. 

After a few years’ absence in England, he had 
returned home in a dying condition ; and though, 
at first, Paray seemed to restore to him a little strength, 
he grew weaker every day, so that soon his life was not 
much more than a breath. His Superiors, on the 
advice of the physicians, consented to his going to 
his brother’s home in Dauphiny. Upon hearing of 
184 




LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


his intended departure, Margaret Mary sent him the 
following words in writing : “ He has told me that 
He desires the sacrifice of your life, here.” Upon this, 
the Father remained at Paray, and ended his holy 
life some days later, on the fifteenth of February, 
1682. A few hours after his death, which God had 
revealed to her, He also made known to her the glory 
that His servant now enjoyed in Heaven, which he 
had entered, she said, “ through the goodness and 
mere) 7 of the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ,” 
and where he was in a condition to pray for those on 
earth. 

“ The greater progress Margaret Mary made in 
sanctity, so much the more furiously was she assailed 
by the devil, who was enraged at not having been 
able to draw this soul under his infernal yoke. For 
a long time he had directed all his efforts against 
her body, and would often make her fall and break 
what she was carrying. One day, his malice went 
so far as to throw her from the top to the bottom of 
the stairs. Margaret Mary, however, arose without 
the slightest injury, for, not only had she been pro¬ 
tected by her Guardian Angel, but by a second angel 
also, who had been chosen by our Lord from 

185 




LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


among the Seraphim, to keep special watch over His 
blessed servant. She constantly enjoyed the sensible 
presence of this heavenly protector and conversed 
familiarly with him.” 

The hour had now come, when the apostolate of 
the Sacred Heart was to begin in real earnest, and 
the heavenly spark, which was to inflame the whole 
world, to be enkindled ; the fervent noviciate of 
Paray-le-Monial was to witness the first outburst of 
its sacred flames. Mother Marie-Christine Melin, 
yielding to the humble request of many of the 
Sisters, had named Margaret Mary the Mistress of 
the Novices, at the New Year, 1685. These novices 
were worthy to have a saint for their Mistress, and 
hardly had Margaret Mary entered on her charge 
when, according to the expression of the old me¬ 
moirs, she “ enkindled the fire of divine love in all 
those well-disposed hearts.” On the approach of 
her feast, July twentieth, 1685, Margaret Mary, no¬ 
ticing the preparations of the novices for it, begged 
that all the testimonies of affection intended for her, 
should be offered to the Heart of Jesus. The novices 
joyfully acceded to the wishes of their saintly Mis¬ 
tress. A little oratory was promptly prepared, in 
186 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


which was erected an altar, on which was placed a little 
pen-and ink picture of the Sacred Heart from the 
Novitiate and the whole day was spent by this band 
of chosen souls in praising and blessing the meek and 
humble Heart of Jesus. Before this modest shrine, 
Margaret Mary, with the ardor of a seraph, conse¬ 
crated herself to the Sacred Heart, as did also each 
of the novices in turn, repeating the words of the 
formula she had used. 

This was only the beginning, for, one year later, 
the whole Community rendered to the Sacred Heart 
of Jesus its homage of love and adoration, at the in¬ 
vitation of the venerated Sister Marie Madeleine des 
Escures, a perfect model of exactitude to religious 
observance, who up to that period had made most 
opposition to the “new” devotion as contrary, in 
her opinion, to the Constitutions of the Visitation. 
On entering the choir on the morning of the Friday 
after the octave of Corpus Christi, the Sisters per¬ 
ceived a little altar covered with tapestry, on which 
was exposed, in the midst of flowers and blessed 
tapers, a picture of the Sacred Heart. A card, signed 
by Sister Marie Madeleine, invited the Sisters to 
consecrate themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 
187 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


The young and the old prostrated like two choirs of 
Angels. In the fervor of their enthusiasm all agreed 
on the erection of a chapel in the convent garden, in 
which to expose a beautiful large picture of the 
Sacred Heart. In the meantime, the better to re¬ 
pair what she termed “ her fault,” Sister Marie 
Madeleine asked to be allowed to take care of the 
little oratory, consecrated by the Noviciate to the 
Heart of Jesus, and performed her duty so well that 
Margaret Mary could write of this little oratory: 
“ It is a little gem, she bestows so much care upon 
it.” 

Before the end of that memorable year, 1686, Mar¬ 
garet Mary bound herself still closer to the Heart of 
her adorable Master, by the vow to do always what¬ 
ever she considered most perfect. It was about this 
time also that He bestowed on her a fresh token of 
His watchful love, in giving her as guide and special 
protector the seraphic Saint Francis of Assisi. Who 
better than this angel in human form could teach 
the passionate lover of suffering how to give to her 
soul the final traits of resemblance with her crucified 
Spouse ? 


188 



CHAPTER SIXTH. 


VISION OF JULY 2, 1688. LAST GRAND REVELATION. 

MARGARET MARY’S HOLY DEATH. 

FROM the day of the consecration of the Commu¬ 
nity of Paray to the divine Heart, this great and 
tender devotion to infinite love began its triumphal 
march, and Margaret Mary reaped in joy and grati¬ 
tude all that she had “ sown in tears,” amid sorrow 
and tribulation. On the feast of the Visitation, 1688, 
she was again favored with a remarkable vision, in 
which she beheld the Sacred Heart, with our Lady 
on one side, and, on the other, Saint Francis of Sales 
and Father de la Colombiere. The Blessed Virgin 
made known to her that God had created the Order 
of the Visitation, which he looks upon and loves as 
“ His Benjamin,” to preserve the precious deposit of 
the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and that it may be a rec¬ 
ollected and fervent sanctuary, in which every soul 
shall enrich itself with this inexhaustible Treasure, 
though it is reserved to the Fathers of the Society 
of Jesus to make known Its utility and value, that 
189 


LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


all may profit by receiving It with gratitude due to so 
great a benefit. 

On September seventh of this same year, took 
place, with extraordinary solemnity, the dedication 
of the little chapel, projected two years before. 
During the two or three hours that the ceremony 
lasted, Margaret Mary knelt in the chapel, “ immov¬ 
able as a statue,” so recollected in God that no one 
dared speak to her, though the throng surrounded 
her on all sides. On beholding the triumph of the 
Sacred Heart, she must have cried put, as she wrote 
to Mother Peronne Rosalie Grey fie : “ Now I shall 

die content, since the Heart of my Saviour begins to 
be known and adored.” The new sanctuary became 
a place of pilgrimage for the Sisters of the Commu¬ 
nity, who on the First Fridays of the month, sang the 
Litany of the Sacred Heart, as they went thither in 
procession, and there renewed their acts of reparation 
and consecration. Nor was the piety of the people 
to be checked by any obstacle, and the chapel being 
within the enclosure of the monastery, many made 
the tour of the garden, and peasants were seen kneel¬ 
ing outside, leaning against the walls, their gaze 
turned towards that first temple, in which was 
190 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


publicly adored the Heart of Jesus. It is a singular 
coincidence that this first little chapel of the Sacred 
Heart, locked by the religious, when driven away 
from their Monastery by the Revolution, was not 
entered during the whole period of their absence. 
On their return, they found everything as they had 
left it, as if our Lord wished to preserve from sacri¬ 
legious contact the sanctuary of His adorable Heart. 

In reading the Letters of Blessed Margaret Mary, 
we cannot but realize the ardor with which she prop¬ 
agated this most efficacious devotion, by means of 
pictures, which she spared no pains to have as per¬ 
fect as possible. Mother Marie Fran^oise de Sau- 
maise, then at Dijon, ably seconded the zeal of her 
former daughter, as did also Mother P£ronne Rosalie 
Greyfie, who, wishing to make Margaret Mary a 
present that' would touch her heart, sent her a copy 
of a beautiful oil painting, by a skilful artist. This 
was highly prized by the servant of God, and served 
as a model for the large picture in the garden chapel 
at Paray. When the ardent Sister saw it, she could 
not restrain her transports of joy, “ a thousand times 
greater,” she said, than if she had been put in pos¬ 
session of all the treasures of earth. Unfortunately, 
191 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


this little relic was lost during the Revolution. 
Margaret Mary’s heart was also filled with consolation 
as, by means of zealous priests and other pious souls, 
the Sacred Heart of her Saviour became ever better 
known and more ardently loved. The progress of 
the devotion was to her a foretaste of Heaven, and 
she continually repeated : “ The Sacred Heart will 
reign, in spite of Satan and his accomplices ! These 
words transport me with joy, and are my only conso¬ 
lation.” 

Before completing her earthly course, the apostle 
of the Sacred Heart had one more mission to fulfil, 
though nothing seems to have prepared her for the 
grand revelation about to be made. In the months 
of June and August, 1689, our Lord bade her make 
known to the “ Eldest Son ” of His Heart, as He 
designated the King of France, Louis the Four¬ 
teenth, that He desired to establish His kingdom in 
the heart of that monarch, to reign in his palace, to 
be emblazoned on his standards, to be engraven on 
his arms, in order to render him victorious over all 
his enemies. Further, our Lord wished to have 
erected an edifice in which should be an image of 
His divine Heart, to receive the consecration and 
192 





LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


homage of the King and all the court. Margaret 
Mary did her utmost to convey this message to 
Louis the Fourteenth. Might it be that her mes¬ 
sengers were unfaithful in transmitting this order ? 
Might it be that Louis the Fourteenth’s soul would 
not be sufficiently humble to comprehend the 
Christian grandeur of such a thought ? Be it as it 
may, no attention was paid to the heavenly warning; 
Margaret Mary’s last admonitions were without 
avail; she was nearing her death. 

Two centuries later, in 1889, France, remembering 
the year 1689 and the remedy refused ; 1789 and the 
chastisement inflicted, made tardy reparation, by 
solemnly consecrating herself to the Sacred Heart, 
at the express desire of the King of kings, and raised 
a temple in honor of this divine Heart at Mont¬ 
martre, on the very site where her first martyrs had 
in shedding their blood, bestowed upon her the 
priceless gift of faith. 

When Margaret Mary finished this first work, she 
also ended a second, the moulding of her soul to the 
image of the Sacred Heart. The sacrifice was near¬ 
ing its consummation. To the criticisms, the discus¬ 
sions, of which she had been the object, succeeded 
13 x 93 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


a sort of deep and discreet enthusiasm. “ The com¬ 
munity, in opposing her so persistently, had been but 
the blind instrument of God in the sanctification of 
this heroic soul, whose extraordinary graces might 
well have kept minds in suspense, but her humility 
triumphed at last over all prejudices.” There was 
in her countenance something angelic, something 
ineffably pure; her eyes were so clear, her gaze so 
penetrating, that one might have been embarrassed 
under her holy glance, had it not been tempered by 
extreme sweetness and modesty. By a word, a 
glance, a sweet and delicate allusion, the holy Sister 
frequently revealed to others that she knew their 
interior dispositions. The gift of miracles was also 
hers, and a good domestic Sister especially experi¬ 
enced the effects of it. Having wounded her leg 
with an axe, the Sister-novice feared she might be 
sent away, and concealed the accident, but the wound 
increased and, like the poor woman of the Gospel, 
she said to herself: “ If I shall but touch her garment 
I shall be healedf Following out her good thought, 
she touched her wounded limb to the hem of Mar¬ 
garet Mary’s habit, and was, in a short time, com¬ 
pletely cured. 


194 




LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


In 1690, the new Superioress of the Sisters of 
Paray, noticing that Margaret Mary, now the Sister 
Assistant, was failing in health, forbade her all aus¬ 
terities, which was a hard trial for this soul devoured 
by such an insatiable thirst for suffering. Yet she 
humbly obeyed, saying : “ Our good Mother takes 

too much care of me.” Margaret Mary now spoke 
incessantly of her approaching death. “ I shall not 
live much longer,” she said, “ for I have nothing to 
suffer ; ” or, “ I shall certainly die this year, because 
I suffer no longer.” Again,—“ I shall assuredly die 
this year, in order not to prevent the great fruits 
that my divine Saviour expects to reap from a book 
of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus," words 
that very much surprised Father Croiset, S. J., who 
was working at this book, but had not yet spoken of 
it to any one. The thought of being an obstacle to 
the glory of the Sacred Heart increased Margaret 
Mary’s desire for Heaven, and henceforth she lived 
only for love, her great motto being : “ Love, suffer 
through love, and be silent. This is the secret of the 
lovers of the Beloved.” From her lips and pen con¬ 
tinually came such words as these : “ Ask the Sacred 
Heart, I beseech you, to grant me the grace to die 
195 





LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


with Him upon the cross, poor, unknown, despised, 
forgotten by all creatures, overwhelmed with all kinds 
of suffering, according to His choice and desire and 
not mine.” 

On July twenty-second, the feast of Saint Mary 
Magdalen, Margaret Mary, hearing more distinct¬ 
ly the call of the Bridegroom, began, in preparation 
for death, a retreat of forty days. When she was 
attacked by her last illness, nine days before her 
death, she replied to a Sister, who asked her if she 
could enter retreat: “Yes, but it will be the great 
retreat.” The physician saw nothing serious in her 
indisposition, and said that she would not die of it, 
but Margaret Mary smiled incredulously. Her ill¬ 
ness was accompanied by interior pains of which no 
one knew the cause, but also by ineffable consola¬ 
tions. On October sixteenth, the eve of her death, 
she earnestly implored the grace of Holy Viaticum, 
which, being refused, as her state did not seem to 
warrant it, she obtained the favor of Holy Commun¬ 
ion which, as she told one of the Sisters, she re¬ 
ceived as Viaticum, as the end was near. Our gra¬ 
cious Saviour Himself was her support in the last 
struggle, and allowed His faithful servant to realize 
196 




LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


fully the truth of the words she had written so long 
before : “ How sweet it is to die, after having had a 

constant devotion to the Heart of Him, who is to be 
our Judge.” 

The great change came suddenly toward seven 
o’clock in the evening of October seventeenth, 
1690. The priest entered and began the ceremony 
of Extreme Unction and, at the anointing of the 
fourth sense, Margaret Mary pronounced the Holy 
Name of Jesus, as her soul left this land of exile, to 
contemplate forever the glories of the Sacred Heart 
of Jesus, which she had so tenderly loved and so 
devotedly served. As she had foretold, she expired 
in the arms of two of her former novices, Sister 
Peronne Rosalie de Farges and Sister Fran^oise 
Rosalie Verchere. She was aged forty-three years, 
two months and four days. 

But one cry was now heard, “ The Saint is dead ! ” 
which passing beyond the convent grates, the whole 
town of Paray was soon astir. Even little children 
went through the streets, crying : “ The saint of the 
Holy Mary’s is dead ! ” The saintly nun was buried 
under one of the choir flags near the spot on which 
she was kneeling when the Lord appeared to her. 
197 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


Many miraculous favors were obtained through her 
intercession, and gradually Margaret Mary came forth 
from obscurity, rising slowly in glory, “ leaning upon 
her Beloved.” Preliminary enquiries to the introduc¬ 
tion of the Cause at Rome were instituted in 1715, 
through the zeal of Monseigneur Languet, then 
Vicar General of Autun, afterwards Bishop of Sois- 
sons, and, finally, Archbishop of Sens. In 1729, he 
gave to the public the Life of Margaret Mary, which, 
while arousing the resentment of the Jansenists, in¬ 
cited in the hearts of the faithful greater love of the 
divine Heart. The eighteenth century closed with¬ 
out Margaret Mary’s being declared Venerable , for 
the process of Beatification was suspended until 
after the revolution, which, like an impious whirl¬ 
wind, swept over France, overthrowing altars and 
suppressing convents. Among the others, that of 
Paray was closed, and the religious driven out, until 
June sixteenth, 1823, when, with charitable assis¬ 
tance, the Sisters regained their old home. God 
blessed their renewed endeavors for the canonization 
of their holy Sister, and on March thirtieth, 1824, 
the servant of God received the title of Venerable. 
On September eighteenth, 1864, Pius the Ninth, of 
198 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


glorious memory, made at Rome the solemn procla¬ 
mation of decree of Beatification. 

The relics of “ Blessed ” Margaret Mary remained 
at Paray-le-Monial all through the stormy period of 
the Revolution, the magistrates having interfered 
with the Sisters’ carrying away with them the pre¬ 
cious remains. The mayor went so far as to have 
the city seals affixed to the wooden casket and set a 
guard around it. The holy relics now rest in a 
splendid casket beneath the white marble altar of the 
convent church, where our Lord so many times ap. 
peared to her. More than eighty lamps casting their 
radiant light upon this altar, burn day and night, in 
honor of the divine Master and His humble servant. 
Before this altar of the Apparitions, where every 
thing speaks to the soul, pilgrims love to pray and 
from it the countless graces and mercies of the 
Heart of Jesus flow out to the whole world, through 
the intercession of Blessed Margaret Mary. 

National and local pilgrimages began in the year 
1873, and have annually brought to this holy shrine 
throngs of devout souls to draw from the inexhaus¬ 
tible treasures of the Heart of Jesus. Here, all 
hearts are warmed, all beat in unison, for this ador- 
199 



LIFE OF BLESSED MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE. 


able Heart darts Its rays upon them, to vivify and 
transfigure them, filling them with Its invincible 
force. Here, one realizes that it was for the Sacred 
Heart, God created Margaret Mary, and it was 
through the Sacred Heart, that He led her to the 
highest perfection. In the words of the decree of 
her Beatification, “ her sanctity is resumed in that 
ardent love, with which she burned for the Heart of 
Jesus and that immense zeal which induced her to 
draw all hearts to render It love for love.” Here, 
the Heart of Jesus triumphs over all obstacles and 
the wonderful increase of faith, piety, and purest 
love of God, verifies the truth of the words of our 
Lord to His humble servant: “ I shall reign in spite 
of all My enemies, and I shall accomplish the design 
for which I have chosen you, notwithstanding the 
efforts of those who try to oppose it.” 


200 



LIFE OF THE VENERABLE ANNE 
MADELEINE REMUZAT. 





LIFE OF THE VENERABLE ANNE 
MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


CHAPTER FIRST. 

MARSEILLES—THE REMUZATS—BIRTH AND EARLY 
YEARS. 

To the Christian reader, Marseilles seems to be 
a city especially favored by divine Providence. It 
was converted to Christianity a few years after the 
Ascension of our Lord and, here, Saint Mary Mag¬ 
dalen, 

“ Baume’s seraph of love, enraptured could tell 
Of visions celestial beyond human ken.” 

After an interval of nearly seventeen centuries, 
our Saviour gave Marseilles another proof of His 
love; the city of Saint Lazarus and Saint Mary 
Magdalen became the “city of the Sacred Heart of 
Jesus,” a holy prerogative, which this ancient Cath¬ 
olic city claims as a title of glory, an anchor of hope 
and one of its most sacred and treasured traditions. 
203 



LIFE OF THE VEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


“ The Spirit breatheth where It will,” but in 
choosing Marseilles for the theatre of His mercy, 
God, as always in His infinite designs, proportioned 
the means to the end ; in selecting it as the city of 
the Sacred Heart. He prepared the surest ways to 
extend even to distant lands, the knowledge, love 
and devotion to that Sacred Heart. At the period 
of which we write, Marseilles was one of the fairest 
and most prosperous cities of Southern France ; her 
vessels traversed every known sea and her sails floated 
in every port of the commercial world. Thus was 
she brought into relations with the most distant 
lands; their wealth poured into her coffers, and 
and made her one of the richest and most influential 
cities of the seventeenth century. God made use of 
this power and influence to spread devotion to the 
Sacred Heart, We read in the Annals that in the 
Orient at Macao, a Confraternity in honor of the 
Sacred Heart of Jesus existed as early as 1709. 

Madeleine Remuzat belonged to an old Catholic 
family, in which patriarchal manners were hereditary 
and the members of which held a high rank among 
the merchant princes of Marseilles. The first known 
ancestors of the Remuzats were natives of the little 
204 





LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


town of Seyne, in the diocese of Embrun, from 
which two of them, James and Peter Remuzat, went 
to Marseilles, about the beginning of the seventeenth 
century, in order to devote themselves to maritime 
commerce. Her father was Hyacinth, son of James, 
who was in his day, one of the most considerable 
personages of the city, being especially noted for 
honor, probity, respect for high principles, and above 
all, for his lively, sincere and enlightened faith. Her 
mother was Anne Coustan, daughter of a former 
sheriff. It was in the Church of Notre-Dame des 
Accoules, only a few hours after her birth, that the 
child was regenerated in the holy waters of Baptism 
and received the name of Madeleine. We learn from 
a tradition, faithfully preserved, that, on this twenty- 
ninth day of November, 1696, a miraculous star ap¬ 
peared at Auriol, a small town not far from Mar¬ 
seilles, and was seen in broad daylight, above the 
house of La Glaci&re, the summer-residence of the 
Remuzats, doubtless a prophetic gleam of the 
heavenly light of devotion to the adorable Heart of 
Jesus, which through this humble Apostle was, one 
day, to shine in thousands of hearts. 

The Lord who reserved to Himself the soul of this 
205 




LIFE OF THE VEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


child, lavished special graces on her, almost from her 
babyhood. Madeleine was often seen to join her 
tiny hands and fix her eyes on Heaven, while, her 
infant lips uttered the words : “ I want to be a nun.” 
Then, as if she wished to confirm and make better 
known her intention of belonging to God alone, she 
constantly refused to receive any caresses but those 
of her parents. Already there seemed to be united 
in this child a strong inclination to piety, rare natural 
qualities, gifts of mind and heart, which were to 
develop and be perfected, under the influence of a 
firm, but gentle education, based upon the great 
principles of religion. Yet side by side with these 
precious gifts, and strangely in contrast with them, 
were excessive petulance, unusual vivacity and a sort 
of violence of character, which occasioned many 
childish quarrels with her brothers and sisters. She 
had a good heart, but she would heed no one, settle 
down to nothing ; application was so unknown to 
her, that it was even feared that her education would 
suffer from it. At last, her vigilant, tender mother 
appealed to the mind and heart of Madeleine; the 
sensitive chord was touched. To please God first, 
then her mother, gave her courage to repress and 
206 



LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


overcome these dangerous tendencies. This led the 
way to a second victory, when, a few years later, 
vanity and love of dress became a snare for the 
attractive child. Her early inclination for the relig¬ 
ious life also grew with her growth and she was not 
more than six or seven years of age, when she begged 
to be allowed to enter a cloistered Monastery. At 
first Mr. and Mrs. Remuzat prudently refused this 
request, but at last, fearing to resist the Will of God, 
in regard to their beloved daughter, they endeavored 
to conciliate all interests, by placing her as a boarder 
in the second Monastery of the Visitation, where one 
of their relatives, Sister Madeleine S^raphine Martin, 
was then charged with the direction of the boarding 
school. The whole household deeply regretted the 
departure of the amiable child, who was dearly loved 
by all. 


CHAPTER SECOND. 

BOARDING SCHOOL.—FIRST COMMUNION.—CHOICE 
OF THE HEART OF JESUS. 

Madeleine’s smiling face was in strange contrast 
with the emotion of her parents, as they parted from 
20 7 





LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


their treasure, but her long cherished desires were 
now realized and she made no effort to conceal her 
joy, at being at last within the walls of a Monastery. 
To this pious asylum, she brought an innocent soul, 
and a heart open to divine love, but also slight de¬ 
fects inherent to human weakness, the correction of 
which our Lord Himself took in hand. One day, 
Madeleine, yielding to self-will, secretly took posses¬ 
sion of some balls of silk, of which she had no per¬ 
mission to make use, although they were hers. Re¬ 
proved for her fault, she denied it twice and persisted 
in her falsehood. When the bell called the boarders 
to supper, she seized the occasion to escape further 
questioning and quickly ran away, but in goingalong 
a corridor, her eyes became fixed upon a picture, 
which she had frequently passed, without even notic¬ 
ing it. It represented our Lord receiving the kiss 
of Judas and beneath, was written: “He who 
wishes to betray me has only to Pelt a lie.” Touched 
by remorse of conscience, the little girl took refuge 
in a tribune of the Church and besought her divine 
Master to forgive her her fault. Then the sweet 
Jesus appeared loaded with His Cross and letting fall 
upon her a glance full of sadness and goodness, He 
208 



LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


said : “ It is you, My daughter, who have placed 

me in this condition.” At these words, Madeleine 
was transpierced with love and sorrow for her fault, 
and thought only of repairing it and doing penance 
for it. She was then only nine years old, but she 
never forgot her weakness and from that day, medi¬ 
tation on the sufferings of our Saviour became 
familiar to her and the feeling of the Presence of 
God almost habitual. As the time for Madeleine’s 
First Communion approached, she prepared for it 
with lively faith and unusual ardor, spending before 
the Tabernacle all the time of which she could dis¬ 
pose and shedding abundant tears. When the hour 
came for her to present herself at the Banquet of the 
Angels, her deeply recollected demeanor and radiant 
face gave the beholder an idea of how intimately 
this First Communion had united this pure, young 
heart to the loving Heart of her sweet Saviour. 

Our happy little Sulamite, formed by our Lord 
Himself tc the science of the Saints, made obe¬ 
dience her great law, and did not pardon herself a 
single failing on this point. Once, for instance, 
having forgotten to put in order a class-room, of which 
she had charge, and, awaking during the night, she 
14 209 




LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


immediately arose to repair her omission and went 
alone, through long corridors, in spite of her natural 
fear in the dark, a fear increased that night by the 
death of a religious in the Monastery. Next to obe¬ 
dience, self-denial was Madeleine’s favorite virtue ; 
often too, she asked permission to perform penance, 
and was consoled for a refusal only by imposing on 
herself little privations at table, taking what was 
not to her taste, so naturally, that no one suspected 
her dislike, or giving to her companions, or to the 
sick poor, the dainties and early fruits that her good 
parents sent her. 

While still very young, Madeleine felt the burning 
desire of all generous souls to love and serve God 
perfectly, but she felt her powerlessness; and if, on 
the one hand, the loving attractions of her divine 
Saviour drew her to Him, on the other, her weak¬ 
ness made her feel she could not reach Him. Soon, 
a sort of indescribable disquiet took possession of 
the pious child; she prayed, never ceasing to re¬ 
peat : “ Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do ? ” At 
last, after Holy Communion, on the second of July, 
feast of the Visitation of our Lady, she distinctly 
heard our Lord say. “ I wish you to be faithful to 
210 







LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


Me.” Grace and a certain spiritual sweetness accom¬ 
panied those short and simple words, she un¬ 
derstood their mysterious meaning, and resolved to 
perform her duties so faithfully, as not to receive 
unprofitably a single inspiration of grace. Madeleine 
immediately declared implacable war against herself, 
and commenced to lead that heroic life, which was, 
in so short a time, to raise her to sanctity. One day. 
among others, contemplating her Saviour crowned 
with thorns, her loving heart burned with desire to 
suffer something for Him and seizing a long pin 
which fastened her hair she drove it into her head 
with such force that the blood flowed. 

Madeleine was only twelve years old, and our Lord 
could thus count upon the fidelity of her love. Soon 
came the hour, which was to be foremost among the 
decisive and solemn hours of her life. The amiable 
child, was in prayer, pouring out her soul to her 
gracious Lord, when suddenly He appeared to her 
and, as if He wished to question her, He said : “ My 
daughter, I am seeking a victim.” At these words, 
a thrill passed through Madeleine, but convinced of 
her own unworthiness, she did not dare to consider 
herself as chosen by the Master. In the simplicity 



LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


of her heart, she recalled to memory the holiest 
persons that she knew, and named one whom she 
thought likely to fix God’s choice. “ No" answers 
the adorable Master, “ that is not the one I want " 
She ventured a second, then a third proposal, and to 
each, the divine voice replied : “ No , no, that is not 
the one I want." At last, when the humble child was 
reduced to silence, the Lord Jesus gave her to un¬ 
derstand these words of eternal predilection : “ My 
daughter, you are the one whom I choose for My 
victim.” Joy, gratitude and love crowded into 
Madeleine’s heart and threw her into a profound 
ecstasy, in which she remained fora longtime. The 
divine dart had wounded her forever, henceforth 
the happy victim of the Heart of Jesus will live no 
longer except of the life of this adorable Heart, 
Love and Immolation. 

Meanwhile, several months passed away, without 
bringing her the expected sufferings, the object 
of her longing desires. On the feast of Saint Teresa, 
as she besought our Lord not to delay to bestow 
on her a share of His Cross, she heard an interior 
voice saying : “ You shall be heard" and, indeed, she 

was, in a most painful and unlooked for manner. In 
212 



LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


an instant, on the feast of Saint Francis Xavier, the 
third of December, her soul became, as it were, 
shrouded in darkness and deprived of the sensible 
favors which, up to this time, had been lavished on 
her, the gift of tears, the sweet sense of the presence 
of God, enjoyment in prayer, all disappeared, to give 
place to mortal weariness, to countless fears and per¬ 
plexities. Her life then appeared to her as a con¬ 
tinual crime, and, in God, she saw only an irritated 
Judge, ready to punish her. To this anguish, temp¬ 
tation was added. The enemy had, indeed, made a 
good choice of the time to attack this child of thir¬ 
teen, but Madeleine’s good Angel watched over her. 
He inspired her to meet these furious assaults with 
the ever victorious arms of prayer and obedience, and 
not only did she thus escape all the snares of hell, 
but her courage increased and her virtue grew 
stronger in the struggle. The Lord had truly heard 
her , and to conform to His designs of love, she ran 
rather than walked, in the path of sacrifice, which 
became her lifelong companion. The interior state 
of the young boarder thus diverging from the or- 
j dinary road, the guidance of an experienced director 
became necessary for her. God provided for this, 

213 






LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


by sending to Marseilles, the Reverend Father 
Milley, of the Society of Jesus, a man replete with 
wisdom and prudence, who readily understood that 
he had to deal with an elect soul, and treated 
her accordingly. Special circumstances occasioned 
Madeleine’s return home, at the beginning of 1709, 
and thus she was enabled to place herself entirely 
under the direction of the holy religious. The 
Sisters of the second Monastery of the Visitation 
had fulfilled their mission and formed the beloved 
of the Lord according to His Sacred Heart, now the 
Saviour Himself was to direct the course of events 
to His greater glory and the accomplishment of His 
adorable designs. 


CHAPTER THIRD. 

MADELEINE AT HOME. 

MADELEINE was in her fifteenth year, when she 
again took her place in the family circle, where she was 
received with the greatest joy. Tokens of affection 
were lavished on her, her least desires were realized 
and everything was done to satisfy her childish in- 
214 




LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


clination to vanity and procure for her diversions and 
enjoyments suitable to her station. Alas ! what was 
all this to a soul on fire with divine love ? to one 
whose only ambition was to immolate herself for her 
Saviour ? Her holy director gave her counsels, 
suited to her present dispositions, with a rule of life, 
simple in apperance, but aiming at nothing less than 
perfection in the midst of the world. Already the 
wonderful effects of grace were visible in her whole 
conduct. The young girl evinced the most respect¬ 
ful tenderness towards her parents, and showed them 
the most thoughtful attentions, while, in the midst 
of her brothers and sisters, she made herself all to all. 
The two older ones, Gabriel and John Francis, will¬ 
ingly deferred to her precocious judgment, while 
the three younger ones, Noel Justinian, Joseph 
Hyacinth and Charles, submitted to the charms of 
her disposition and felt her presence necessary, so to 
say, to their merry games. Madeleine’s little favorites, 
Catherine and Marie, learned from her to love God 
better and Anne, her eldest sister, made her the 
confidante of her most intimate thoughts. 

The whole family spent the summer season at the 
chateau de la Glaciere, situated near Auriol on the 
215 





LIFE OF THE VEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMTJZAT. 

left bank of the Huveaune, almost in sight of the 
wild and majestic rocks of the Sainte-Baume. The 
grounds were considerable, the house itself was a 
sort of castle, flanked on the north by a slight turret, 
terminating in a fine point. On one side of the 
principal facade, tufted chestnut trees, planted in 
rows, afforded shade in the heat and on the other, 
was a large farm with all its dependencies. There, 
more freely than at Marseilles, Madeleine could dec¬ 
orate the sanctuary, spend delightful hours with the 
God of the Eucharist and cover with flowers the altar 
of our Blessed Lady. Often, during the beautiful 
walk from her home to the home of her Beloved, she 
exchanged confidences with her sister Anne, taught 
her little sisters, Catherine and Marie to read in the 
great book of the universe, or instilled into the hearts 
of the poor, of the children of the people, the ele¬ 
ments of faith and religion. It was a gracious sight 
to see that fair young girl, catechising the little and 
the lowly, in that simple but expressive Provencal 
tongue, that she spoke so fluently. Prayer, labor, 
and other works of charity, especially visiting the sick 
poor, filled in the hours of the day. After having 
given all that the liberality of her parents placed at 
216 



LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


her disposal, Madeleine deprived herself of those 
things that younggirls naturally like, dainties, jewelry, 
fine dresses, and even of more necessary clothing, for 
the sake of the indigent, who blessed her and with 
unanimous voices already called her“ the Saint.” 

The child also practised, as secretly as possible, 
severe mortifications. It is related that one of the 
maid-servants at La Glacikre, astonished at her eager 
offers of service being constantly refused, suspected 
some mystery. Profiting by a favorable occasion, she 
entered Madeleine’s room, and went so far as to raise 
the coverings of a seemingly soft bed; there she 
discovered a rough plank, upon which the delicate 
girl took her rest every night. The faithful servant 
could not keep to herself the secret of her young 
lady’s austerity, which told, now to one, then to 
another, caused Miss Remuzat to be looked upon as 
an angel of virtue and innocence. 

An incident of which the inhabitants of Auriol 
were witnesses, in 1710, confirmed them in the high 
opinion they had formed of her sanctity. It was 
during the week following All Souls’ Day. Made¬ 
leine had taken upon herself to have the farmers 
awakened every morning, in order to assist at the 
217 



LIFE OF THE VEN. ANNE MADELEINE RE MUZAT . 

five o’clock Mass. Legier, the manager of the farm, 
accompanied his men and they generally met the 
young lady, also on her way to the church. Now, it 
happened one day, that the waters of the torrent 
Basseron, whose rocky bed was usually dry and easy 
to cross, suddenly swollen by the rain, had over¬ 
flowed the bank and closed the entrance to the bridge ; 
the little band of worshippers thought that the only 
thing to do was to turn back, but as the honest farmer 
afterwards said, “ Our little angel did not do as we 
did; she stepped upon the waters and we saw 
her on the other side of the torrent, without 
understanding how she had crossed it and what is 
still more surprising is that the bottom of her cloth¬ 
ing was not even wet.” In fact, Madeleine had crossed 
the overflowing Basseron with dry feet. After 
having heard holy Mass, she quietly returned home, 
reproaching with their lack of courage “ those who," 
she said, “ had not dared to follow a little girl." Good 
L£gier did not forget this fact, which he often related 
with such conviction that the tradition has been faith¬ 
fully preserved by his descendants, who remained in 
the service of the Remuzat family until about the 
middle of the nineteenth century. 

218 





CHAPTER FOURTH. 


MADELEINE’S VOCATION.—SHE ENTERS THE VIS¬ 
ITATION—SUPERNATURAL FAVORS. HER HOLY 
PROFESSION. 

MADELEINE spent two years in the world, exercis¬ 
ing, as we have seen, a veritable apostolate among all 
who approached her. The beauty of her soul was 
reflected upon her features, expressive of virginal 
modesty; her affable and distinguished manners, 
her edifying conversation, commanded respect and 
diffused an atmosphere of the presence of God. A 
divine radiance beamed forth from her person, as it 
were, and unconsciously she became an object of 
veneration, so that when turning her eyes away from 
created beauty, disdaining all that earth calls happi¬ 
ness, she sought shelter for her virtue in the cloister, 
the young girl had already acquired real influence in 
her native city, and ascendancy over hearts which, in 
God’s time, was to facilitate the accomplishment of 
the heavenly decrees. To correspond to a vocation 

maturely examined and tried by her director, Made- 
219 



LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


leine presented herself at the First Monastery of the 
Visitation, when she was entering her fifteenth 
year. The name of the well-known family of Remu- 
zat and the personal reputation of the young girl 
obtained for her the most favorable reception and, 
after her vocation had been submitted to Monseigneur 
de Belsunce, the Bishop of Marseilles, her entrance 
was fixed for the second of October, feast of the 
Holy Angels, which, that year, 1711, coincided with 
the First Friday of the month. On the morning of 
that day, Madeleine, much affected, yet deeply rec¬ 
ollected, left her father’s house secretly and alone 
and crossed the threshold of the sacred abode, where 
her Beloved was to be All to her and she, all to Him. 
She was received by the honored Mother Anne- 
Theodore Nogaret, then Superioress, and Sister 
Anne-Augustine Gravier, the Mistress of the Nov¬ 
ices, both religious of rare merit. 

Madeleine wished to be a religious in the full ac¬ 
ceptation of the term, bound and given to God with¬ 
out reserve. “ From the first day,” wrote Mother 
Anne Theodore, “ she seemed to be formed to all the 
holy Rules and she was seen to tend to the purest 
and most sublime perfection.” It was in these dis- 
220 





LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


positions that she received the holy Habit and the 
name of Anne Madeleine, bn the fourteenth of 
January, 1712. Monseigneur de Belsunce had 
himself examined Miss Remuzat’s vocation and 
wished to preside at the ceremony, at which assisted 
a large concourse of pious and distinguished persons. 

The great year of probation now began for Sister 
Anne Madeleine, who abandoned herself wholly and 
entirely to the guidance of her Superiors. The 
latter co-operated constantly and faithfully with 
the designs of the Saviour in regard to the victim 
He had chosen for Himself. In order to try her 
virtue, reproofs and corrections were not spared, 
but the novice showed neither surprise nor weak¬ 
ness, so that it seemed as if she did not know the 
incessant sacrifices required of her. Even her holiest 
attractions met with opposition, yet nothing dis- 
couraged.her fervor. She could not be humbled so 
deeply, that she did not humble herself still more ; 
sincere, indeed, was her low opinion of herself, as 
testified by her own words : “ I know,” she said, 
“ that it is always right to blame me, and that I can 
do nothing better than be silent.” 

In the month of August, 1702, Anne Remuzat 
221 



LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


came to join her sister in the noviciate and, in her 
turn, had to submit to the influence of a virtue 
that excited general admiration. The Mistress 
seeing Anne Madeleine evidently favored by God 
and perfectly docile to His Spirit, thought fit, even 
before her Profession, to charge her with teaching 
beginners the observances of the religious life and 
permitted many of them to make her the confidante 
of their joys and sorrows, of their trials and difficul¬ 
ties. The humble novice saw in this mark of confi¬ 
dence only an additional obligation to be exemplary 
in everything. Illumined with divine light, she 
read as from an open book, the souls of her compan¬ 
ions and revealed to them the most hidden things. 
According to their own testimony, wonderful 
changes took place in their hearts and minds, 
several wavering vocations were strengthened, and 
it was observed that the prayers and even the very 
presence of the saintly novice were a powerful help 
in temptations. To keep her in humility, the Lord 
permitted her to pass through the crucible of inte¬ 
rior pains and desolations. At times, entire nights 
were spent in inexpressible anguish and yet, when 
morning came, Anne Madeleine, dissimulating her 





LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


sufferings, devoted herself to her duties with serene 
and constant fidelity. 

Meanwhile, the year of probation passed, and the 
young novice eagerly longed for the happy day, 
when she would make her Vows to Jesus, whom she 
had chosen as the “ Only Object of her love.” 
That day of everlasting benediction for her and the 
happy Community was the twenty-third of January, 
1713. As large a throng of people occupied the 
church as at the Clothing with the holy Habit, and 
Monseigneur de Belsunce declared his intention to 
preside at the ceremony of Profession, in order to 
offer to the Lord, with His own hands, the innocent 
victim, who was, in a few short years, to be con¬ 
sumed in the flames of pure love. Her ensuing 
religious life will be an ample demonstration of the 
divine favors, which consecrated her soul as a vessel 
of honor and election. 

— 

CHAPTER FIFTH. 

MISSION OF ANNE MADELEINE. HER VIRTUE. 

The impression of holiness made upon all who 
approached Anne Madeleine was renewed and 
223 






LIFE OF THE VEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 

increased on the day of her Profession. Shortly 
after, numbers of persons came to beg her prayers, 
to confide to her their troubles and consult her in 
their difficulties. Dismayed at this frequent inter¬ 
course with seculars, the newly professed wished to 
free herself from it, but in vain. Her Superiors, 
after yielding to her entreaties and prudently put a 
stop to all kinds of visits for a year, ordered her to 
go to the parlor as often as she was called for. It 
was no longer possible to doubt that God wished 
her to fulfil an exceptional mission towards souls, 
unique even in the history of the Visitation. Num¬ 
berless facts prove that He bestowed on His servant 
the gift of prophecy, an insight of consciences, and 
the knowledge of events taking place at a distance. 
Then was seen at Marseilles the unheard of spectacle 
of a young religious, between nineteen and twenty, 
acting as arbiter in the most obscure questions and 
giving decisions with such authority, that every 
objection gave way to the words : “ Sister Remuzat 
said so.” Monseigneur de Belsunce did not deem it 
beneath his dignity to consult his pious daughter, 
not only in regard to his personal concerns, but also 
for the affairs of his diocese, and he frequently 
224 



LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


declared that she spoke as one enlightened by God. 
Meanwhile, the lowly religious whose name was on 
all lips, continued her daily life of prayer and 
humility, practising every monastic virtue in a 
sublime degree, and making obedience her safeguard. 
Relying on the word of her Superioress, she went to 
creatures as do the Angels, bearers of some heavenly 
message, keeping the eyes of her soul fixed upon 
God. Returning to her dear solitude, she spent 
long hours before the Tabernacle, praying for the 
world that does not pray and becoming so inflamed 
with divine love that, on leaving prayer, her face 
seemed to be on fire and, as it were, transfigured. 
With the consent of Monseigneur de Belsunce, and 
Mother Anne Theodore, Anne Madeleine bound 
herself by perpetual vow, in the beginning of her 
religious life, to do what she believed to be most 
perfect. In reward of such a generous resolution, 
our Lord gave Himself liberally to His faithful 
Spouse, and she was soon admitted to daily Com¬ 
munion. 

Nine months after her holy Profession, the young 
religious received from Heaven the special mission 
to become the Apostle of the Devotion to the Sacred 

15 22 5 





LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


Heart. It was on October seventeenth, 1713, that 
this important revelation took place, as she attests 
in a letter, written to her director, some years later, 
under date of October fourteenth, 1721. Shewrote: 
“ Next Friday, the anniversary of the death of our 
Venerable Sister Alacoque, it will be eight years 
since our Lord made known to me in a very special 
and extraordinary manner, His designs over me, 
in regard to the glory of His adorable Heart. If 
this letter reaches you before Friday, you will oblige 
me by not forgetting to give thanks to God, at the 
Altar, for this favor.” The details of this special 
and extraordinary revelation have remained the 
secret of the happy privileged Sister, but the burning 
zeal that, thenceforth, consumed her, the share she 
took in the great events that led to the propagation 
of the devotion to the Sacred Heart, allow us to 
conjecture what she has not revealed to us. 

The hour had come when the Saviour wished to 
associate her as victim and apostle in His work of 
Redemption. It was only by doing extreme violence 
to self, that the humble religious fulfilled her mission 
towards souls, and very often her charity and zeal 
were repaid only by unkindly deeds, bitter reproaches 
226 





LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


and even injuries. At the same time, she was happy 
in her allotted task, provided that her sufferings 
might sooner or later obtain the Saviour’s triumph 
in erring souls. Towards the end of her life, on the 
eighth of December, 1727, carrying still further this 
heroic disinterestedness, she, with the approbation 
of her Superiors, bound herself by special vow, under 
the auspices of the most Blessed Virgin, to pray , 
suffer and act , according to the inspirations of God , 
in favor of those particular souls for whom it might 
please Him to accept her prayers and sufferings. 
Thus the divine High Priest could dispose of the 
fruits of the sacrifice, the victim reserving to herself 
only the right to be immolated. 


CHAPTER SIXTH. 

EXTRAORDINARY FAVORS. ASSOCIATION OF PER¬ 
PETUAL ADORATION. 

Anne Madeleine was truly the “garden en¬ 
closed,” for, though so highly favored by God, she 
was distinguished exteriorly from her Sisters, only 
by more profound humility and more exact fidelity 
to all her religious duties; she responded to the 
227 






LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


first call of obedience and breathed nothing but 
charity in the common life. Named Directress of the 
boarders, on leaving the noviciate, she displayed 
towards the children entrusted to her the wisdom and 
self-sacrifice of a saint, united to the devotedness and 
tenderness of a mother. 

This fervent lover of the Sacred Heart had an in¬ 
satiable thirst for suffering, in order to avenge upon 
herself the outrages committed against her good 
Master ; but Mother Anne Theodore, knowing the 
weakness of the health of her dear daughter, mod¬ 
erated her desire for penance. One day, however, 
inspired to ascertain the Will of God in this regard, 
she dared to ask for a miracle. Anne Madeleine 
having asked permission to spend the night in prayer, 
her Superioress said : “ I consent, on condition that 
you will obtain the cure of your sick headaches. By 
this sign, I shall know that it is God who acts in 
you, and I will allow you to follow His Spirit.” The 
miracle was obtained : Anne Madeleine never suf¬ 
fered from this indisposition, during the remaining 
fifteen years of her life. Henceforth, authorized to 
follow the impulse of her fervor, she practised great 
mortifications, severe penances and rigorous fasts; 
228 




LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


she also spent three nights a week before the Blessed 
Sacrament, in union with the painful agony of her 
Saviour. Finally, during her retreat of 1716, aflame 
with divine love, she seized a red-hot iron and en¬ 
graved upon her heart the blessed Name of Jesus; 
upon her left arm, the figure of a heart transpierced 
by two spears; and upon her breast, the most holy 
Name of God. The deep wounds caused by these 
incisions soon became more dangerous than the 
heroic lover had foreseen, but, as she resigned her¬ 
self to give them the necessary care, the Lord 
Himself became her Physician and her Remedy, by 
suddenly healing them. 

While this innocent victim was thus immolating 
herself for God and religion, Jansenism was sowing 
broadcast its pernicious doctrines. Anne Madeleine, 
penetrated with sorrow at seeing “ God so much 
offended and so little loved,” sought, in the bitter¬ 
ness of her heart, for some compensation to offer 
Him. It was then that the Association of the 
Perpetual Adoration of the Sacred Heart was shown 
to her, as a source of sanctification for souls and as 
the means of providing her divine Master with a 
number of friends, upon whom He could count. 

229 





LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


After having obtained the permission of her Supe¬ 
riors, Anne Madeleine sent to solicit from Rome two 
Briefs of Indulgences, which were granted by Clem¬ 
ent the Eleventh, on the twenty-eighth and thir¬ 
tieth of August, 1717. She herself afterwards drew 
up the Statutes of the Association in a few pages, 
admirable for precision and simplicity. These Stat¬ 
utes, honored by Monseigneur de Belsunce with 
a flattering approbation, were printed for the first 
time in 1718 and circulated so rapidly, that repeated 
editions had to be issued. The Confraternity just 
erected had the same object as those which already 
existed in several Monasteries of the Visitation : to 
render to the Heart of Jesus unceasing reparation, 
adoration and love. Such a thought corresponded 
too well to the need of faithful souls not to be 
received with holy eagerness. The illustrious 
Bishop of Marseilles wished to inscribe his name at 
the head of the register of associates, and his example 
aroused great enthusiasm in the city. The Monastery 
was, so to say, besieged, and several religious were 
hardly sufficient to inscribe the names of those who 
desired to be admitted into the Confraternity. Soon 
all the pious families and the Communities of Mar- 


230 



LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


seilles and its environs were enrolled under the 
banner of the Sacred Heart. This was still too 
little for the zealous apostle, to whom her good 
Master had said, in the secret of retreat: “ Receive 

a participation in the riches of My Heart and strive 
to honor It and have It honored throughout the 
world.” To attain this end, what would she not have 
done and suffered ? She prayed and exhorted, she 
sent to distant places the little book of the Associa¬ 
tion, accompanied by the most persuasive letters. 
Thus, in less than twelve years, the name of sixty 
thousand associates must have been inscribed in the 
Confraternity of Marseilles, yet the wishes of the 
ardent apostle knew no bounds. What she wanted, in 
order to honor the Sacred Heart, was a feast as 
solemn as that of Corpus Christi. She wrote: 
“ When will the Heart of Jesus receive from the 
whole Church the worship that It expects? I would 
be delighted to contribute thereto, even by my death, 
and then, I would say, with my whole heart : ‘ Let 
Him reign and let me die.’ ” Heaven could not with¬ 
stand such darts of love, which, continually breaking 
at the foot of the great White Throne, must have 
hastened the execution of the divine plans. 

231 




CHAPTER SEVENTH. 


MIRACLE.—FIRST REVELATIONS.—THE PLAGUE AT 
MARSEILLES, 1720. 

At this epoch, Jansenism was rife in the Church 
of France, as has been already stated, and in devot¬ 
ing herself unreservedly to propagate devotion to 
the Sacred Heart, Madeleine’s great aim was to 
antidote its pernicious effects, but the measure of 
iniquity was full; yet, in His tenderness for the 
guilty city, our blessed Lord wished to reclaim it by 
a striking miracle and to make known, in advance 
the chastisement that threatened it. 

During the Forty Hours before the Lent of 1718, 
the Blessed Sacrament was exposed in the church of 
the Cordelier Fathers and an immense congregation 
was present. Suddenly our Lord Jesus Christ be¬ 
came visible in the Host, His Face was of dazzling 
majesty and the glances that He cast upon the 
assembled faithful were, at the same time, so tender 
and so severe that no one could stand them. Before 
the news passed the precincts of the church, Anne 
232 



LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


Madeleine was supernaturally informed of the pro¬ 
digy and God revealed to her that if the city did not 
correspond to this appeal of His mercy, He would 
chastise it in so terrible a manner, that the whole 
universe would be terrified. The servant of God 
made known the details of this revelation first to 
her Superioress, then to Monseigneur de Belsunce, 
through the Reverend Father Milley. The Bishop 
exhorted his people to penance, but they turned a 
deaf ear to his voice and hurried on to perdition. 

Two years elapsed, after which the storm excited 
by former impieties and the abuse of present graces, at 
last broke forth in so fearful a manner, that history 
records nothing similar to the horrors of the plague 
at Marseilles. Tidings had just been received of the 
ravages of the pestilence in the East, when, on the 
twenty-fifth of May, 1720, a ship, named “The 
Great Saint Anthony,” entering the port of Mar¬ 
seilles, brought with it desolation and death. The 
nature of the disease, concealed for some time, was 
recognized from the twenty-first of July: the plague 
reigned supreme in the proud Phocian city and its 
progress was so rapid and alarming, that on July 
thirty-first, a sanitary cordon was placed around the 
233 





LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


town. At the beginning of August, each day counted 
its victims by hundreds and the number of deaths 
soon increased to a thousand, then to fifteen hun¬ 
dred. The maddened population scattered about the 
country, lodging in tents; while others entering 
barques, put out to sea. The garrison withdrew 
into the forts, while ten thousand galley-slaves among 
whom the epidemic had already broken out, were 
set at liberty. Then Marseilles became an object of 
horror. Nothing was heard but cries and groans ; 
nothing was seen but scavenger’s carts, filled with 
dead bodies; horrible looking shrouds, through 
which could be traced the human form, were lifted 
down from the upper stories into these unsightly 
hearses, a ghastly spectacle, that sent a thrill of 
horror through the beholder. Famine was added to 
the plague and in three months the great, populous 
city of the sea had parted with one half of its 
inhabitants. The heroic Bishop Belsunce remained 
intrepid in the midst of the dead and dying. After 
having given all that he possessed, he pledged his 
revenues for several years to come and black bread 
became his only food. 

Cloistered religious had received from the prelate 
234 





LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT . 

permission to leave their convents and seek a refuge 
from the scourge ; but a large number of these pious 
solitaries and the Daughters of the Visitation in 
particular, preferred to keep their enclosure at the 
peril of their lives. Strong in unwavering confidence 
in God, calm and peaceful in their holy abodes, 
although they ran the greatest dangers and suffered 
the severest hardships, they prayed and did penance 
for the guilty city. Anne Madeleine especially 
raised to Heaven her suppliant hands, “ Offering 
herself to God a million of times,” Mother Anne 
Theodore wrote, “ to be His victim and bear the 
weight of His anger and vengeance.” So generous 
a donation was accepted. To the physical sufferings 
of this magnanimous soul, was added indescribable 
moral martyrdom. Then, too, she was deprived of her 
valuable support, the Reverend Father Milley, the 
indefatigable auxiliary of Monseigneur de Belsunce, 
having succumbed on the second of September, a 
martyr to his devotedness in the service of the pest- 
stricken. By the advice of her Superioress, Anne 
Madeleine had recourse to his intercession and the 
servant of God appearing to her in a cloud of glory, 
she felt herself suddenly delivered, if not from all 
235 



LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


her sufferings, at least from her cruel apprehensions, 
and peace was restored to her afflicted soul. 

A still greater consolation closely followed this 
great grace. One day, when the gentle victim was 
in prayer, her divine Master gave her to understand 
that He lent a favorable ear to her petitions, 
although He did not yet grant them ; that the time 
of His mercy would come, and that, by means of the 
calamities, with which Marseilles was afflicted, she 
would see established the feast in honor of His 
Sacred Heart, the object of her ardent longings. 
This announcement threw her into transports of 
joy: “ O happy scourge,” she exclaimed, “ since it 
is to procure the glory of the Heart of my Saviour.” 
She had on this occasion only a general view of what 
was to happen, but her Superioress, Mother Frangoise- 
Benigne d’Orlye de Saint-Innocent, having ordered 
her to redouble her supplications, our Lord vouch¬ 
safed to give her the assurance that the contagion 
would cease, and dictated to her the conditions of 
peace, offered to His people. He asked that the 
solemn feast which He had so many years before 
demanded of his humble lover, Blessed Margaret 
Mary, should be instituted on the day which He Him - 
236 



LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT . 

self had chosen to have His Sacred Heart honored , 
that is, the day after the octave of Corpus Christi, 
and that , until this honor was rendered Him y every 
one of the Faithful should , in a prayer selected by the 
Bishop , consecrate himself to the honor of this ador¬ 
able Heart . Monseigneur de Belsunce, to whom the 
humble religious made known this revelation, did 
not doubt its heavenly origin, and feeling confidence 
revive in his soul, he was eager to execute the 
orders given, being convinced that God thus made 
known to him the remedy that was to save His 
people. In his pastoral letter of the twenty-second 
of October, 1720, he established in his diocese as a 
holyday of obligation, with proper Mass and Office, 
the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Moreover, to 
follow out the plan that A nne Madeleine had traced 
for him , says a contemporary, he went on the feast of 
All Saints, barefooted, with a rope around his neck 
and a cross in his arms, to an altar erected at the 
upper end of the square that bears his name. After 
a touching allocution, the fervent Bishop made a 
solemn act of reparation, followed by the consecra¬ 
tion of the city and diocese to the Sacred Heart, 
then celebrated the holy Sacrifice of the Mass. 
237 



LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


That very day, the plague decreased and, shortly 
after, disappeared altogether. 

However, the reparation made to the justice of 
God remained incomplete ; the magistrates had taken 
no part in the ceremony of the first of November. 
Moreover, Marseilles soon forgetting its misfortunes 
and its promises, abandoned itself anew to crime and 
impiety ; so, when least expected, in May, 1722, the 
plague reappeared, even more malignant than the 
previous time. Monseigneur de Belsunce discovered 
without difficulty the cause of the evil and pointed 
out the remedy. At his proposition, the magistrates 
made a vow, by which they pledged themselves and 
their successors in perpetuity , to go every year, on the 
Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi, to hear 
holy Mass in the church of the First Monastery of 
the Visitation , called the “ Great Mary s ” ; to com - 
municate there , and offer a taper , or torch of white 
wax , of four pounds weight , decorated with the es¬ 
cutcheon of the city , to bur71 that day before the 
Blessed Sacrame 7 it ; 071 the evening of the saine day , to 
assist at a general procession to take place from the 
cathedral church. This Vow was pronounced and 
signed on the fourth of June, 1622, the feast of 
238 



LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


Corpus Christi, by the magistrates, Mousties, Dieude, 
Saint-Michel and Peter Remuzat, Anne Madeleine’s 
uncle. It was accomplished for the first time at 
the Monastery of the Visitation, on the following 
twelfth of June, and the plague immediately dimin¬ 
ished its ravages, in so evident a manner, that the 
prodigy was manifest. Marseilles had become, in 
deed and truth, the city of the Sacred Heart and, 
according to the expression of its great Bishop, “ it 
was going to announce its deliverance to the ex¬ 
tremities of the earth and publish among the nations 
the glory of its Liberator.” The diocese of Marseilles, 
proud and happy to be the first consecrated to the 
Sacred Heart, was, in the course of years, to see its 
example imitated by all the churches of the world. 


CHAPTER EIGHTH. 

SUPERNATURAL FAVORS. HER BLESSED DEATH. 

Sister Anne Madeleine’s mission was drawing 
to a close. In the events recorded in the preceding 
chapter, she had been an angel of peace, and Mon¬ 
seigneur de Belsunce had received her communica¬ 
tions as inspirations from Heaven. In the joy of 
239 




LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


her soul, she saw the triumph of the Sacred Heart 
and affirmed that this devotion would soon have still 
greater increase , “ but,” she said, “ I shall not see it.” 
Having been interiorly assured from her earliest 
years, that she would die at the age of thirty-three, 
she quickened her steps to attain the summit of the 
mountain of perfection. At this time of her life, 
the faithful Spouse of Jesus was overwhelmed with 
extraordinary favors. Several times the Three 
Persons of the Most Holy Trinity appeared to her, 
and, one day, even vouchsafed to contract with her 
soul an alliance of love and mercy. “ What have I 
done to God ! ” she exclaimed, “ that He should thus 
show Himself to me? or rather, what must I not do 
for H im ? Why can I not attract all hearts to Him ? ” 
The divine Spirit taking full possession of her heart, 
she enjoyed in ecstasy of prayer the delights of a soul 
intimately united with its God. “If this lasts,” she 
said, “ I must die, but how beautiful to die for God ! ” 
Such was the holy religious, when the honored 
Mother Anne Theodore, consulting neither her tastes, 
nor her strength, but sure of her virtue, named her 
procuratrix of the Monastery. With profound edi¬ 
fication, the Community then saw this real ecstatica 
240 




LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


leave, at the first sign of obedience, the sweetness 
of contemplation and devote herself to her laborious 
employment with unbounded forethought, self-sacri¬ 
fice, and charity. The young procuratrix showed in 
her whole conduct that, for the soul of faith, the life 
of Martha and the life of Mary are not incompatible 
She took for herself the greater part of the labor, 
acknowledging, however, that miraculous strength 
was always appropriately given her, according to the 
continuance of the work, and that her mind was 
never diverted from God by the multitude of her oc¬ 
cupations. In fact, it was in fulfilling with so much 
simplicity her task of devotedness, that Anne Made¬ 
leine was finally consumed by the ardors of the 
martyrdom of love. During the last years of her 
life, her mind and soul were illuminated with 
heavenly brightness, while her poor sensitive nature 
was deprived of all palpable consolation ; her heart 
was crushed by indefinable anguish and, that noth¬ 
ing might escape the fire of suffering, the sacred 
stigmatas wrought upon her innocent flesh secret 
destruction. Although, through divine condescen¬ 
sion, the Saviour permitted that these marks should 
never be visible, they were painful ; every moment, 
16 241 



LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


it seemed to her as if large nails were being driven 
into her hands and feet, and that her sides were 
devoured with burning fever. To crown His favors 
to His devoted servant, our Lord one day took away 
her heart, and placed it within His own, then re¬ 
turned it, glowing with more ardent flames of love. 
This favor was accorded her on the feast of the Pres¬ 
entation of the Blessed Virgin, a day often con¬ 
secrated for Anne Madeleine by special graces. To 
this soul, purified by suffering and divinized by love, 
the Lord already gave a foretaste of the inebriating 
delights of her true country. The Guardian Angels 
of her Sisters showed themselves visibly to her and, 
at times, God allowed her to participate in the glory 
that the Blessed Spirits find in Him. “ This partici¬ 
pation,” she wrote, “ was more abundant on their 
festivals; it seemed to me that a light common to 
us both made us all draw from the same Bosom and 
held me ravished with them in the Object of their, 
love and glory.” 

Meanwhile the term of Anne Madeleine’s pilgrim¬ 
age was fast approaching. She knew it, because, 
from her earliest youth, she had positively asserted 
that she would die at the age of thirty-three. Reach- 
242 



LIFE OF THE VEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 

ing this much desired age, she could no longer re¬ 
press the transports of her joy. During the first 
days of 1730 she was heard to exclaim: “I shall 
die this year. How beautiful it is to die at thirty- 
three.” Toward the end of January, when the in¬ 
fluenza was prevalent in the Community, Anne 
Madeleine had a sudden hemorrhage, which seemed 
to her to be the signal for the coming of the Bride¬ 
groom. No one, however, suspected the gravity of 
her indisposition, and they believed ber end to be 
near only because she insisted on the fact. Her 
illness was to be but of short duration; but God 
willing to treat her as a victim until the end, added 
sufferings of the soul to physical exhaustion and, ac¬ 
cording to her expression, all in her was crucified. 
Far from complaining of this, she said : “ I should 
not have believed that God would grant me so many 
graces, as to allow me so much suffering for love of 
Him.” She asked to receive the last Sacraments 
and, after a general confession, which her humility 
desired to make, she said to the confessor: “Ah! 
Father, how great are the mercies of God. Speak 
to me of the Heart of Jesus.” At the approach of 
the Holy Viaticum, the dying religious exclaimed 
243 



LIFE OF THE VEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 

in a transport of joy: “ Is it indeed true that this is 
the happy moment, when I am going to live forever 
in the Heart of Jesus ? ” Shortly after, she expired, 
ardently longing to be united to her God, and her 
soul, like a white dove, flew into the Bosom of its 
Beloved. It was five o’clock on the morning of the 
fifteenth of February. Anne Madeleine was aged 
thirty-three years, two months and seventeen days. 
At the very moment of this blessed death, a bright 
cloud appeared above the Monastery and the chateau 
de la GlacRre, where Mr. Remuzat then resided. 
Those who saw it did not hesitate to say that the 
Blessed One must be dead, of which they shortly 
after ascertained the fact. At Marseilles was re¬ 
peated on all sides with consternation: “ The Saint 
is dead ! ” and every one desired some little souvenir 
of her. The Jesuit Fathers of the residence of Holy 
Cross sent to beg Mother Anne Theodore to reserve 
for them some of Anne Madeleine’s blood. The 
Sisters decided to have her heart removed, and when 
the surgeon uncovered the breast, he noticed the 
Name of God engraved upon it in capital letters; he 
saw also the figure of a heart imprinted on the side 
and, overcome with astonishment, he acknowledged 
244 



LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


that the Hand of God alone could have formed these 
characters. Afterwards, the effigy of the holy re¬ 
ligious was taken, by means of a plaster mould, into 
which melted wax was poured. 

The obsequies of the humble virgin were a veri¬ 
table triumph, and Monseigneur de Belsunce, who 
claimed the honor of presiding at them, at the head 
of the Cathedral Chapter, deemed proper, on this 
occasion to permit the large and eager throng to 
enter the enclosure. The mortal remains of Anne 
Madeleine were carried to the vault of the Com¬ 
munity, beneath the choir of the religious, where 
they remained exposed until the next day, Mon¬ 
seigneur de Belsunce having ordered that a serious 
examination of the singular marks found upon the 
virginal body of the deceased, be instituted. The 
whole was attested in due form. 


CHAPTER NINTH. 

THE MEMORY OF ANNE MADELEINE. 

Immediately after the death of Anne Madeleine 
recourse was had to her intercession with God, and 
miraculous favors were obtained in such great num- 
245 





LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


bers, that her cousin, Sister Madeleine Ang£lique 
Vincent said: “ I would need to write for an entire 
month to record them all.” 

This veneration for the tomb of the Virgin of 
Marseilles lasted until the fatal epoch of the French 
Revolution, when the Community of the First Mon¬ 
astery was, as so many others, broken up and dis¬ 
persed. Driven from their peaceful retreat, the religi¬ 
ous had to leave behind them the precious remains 
of this privileged Sister, and the silence of death 
enveloped the blessed body, which the most active 
researches have not yet been able to recover. Other 
dear relics, fortunately shielded from perquisition 
and consigned to a place of safety, during the revolu¬ 
tionary storm, remain, to-day, the real treasure of 
Anne Madeleine’s Sisters. With piety and confi¬ 
dence, they venerate her heart, that heart which, 
once plunged into the Heart of Jesus, became in¬ 
flamed by the fiery contact, and when opened, fifty- 
three hours after the death of the Servant of God, 
was found to be full of red and liquid blood. Then 
enclosed in an exquisite casket of carved wood, it 
has been the object of marvellous preservation, no 
trace of embalming having ever been discovered. 
246 







LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


There is also preserved in the Monastery in a niche 
of antique pottery the waxen effigy, reproducing the 
features of the Venerable Sister; also some portions 
of her clothing and her instruments of penance, still 
tinged with her blood. Thus Anne Madeleine ever 
lives in the midst of her religious family, to be its 
protector and invite souls to the imitation of her 
heroic virtues. Her memory, transmitted from 
generation to generation, is faithfully preserved in 
the little town of Auriol, where is still shown the 
room occupied by her whom they have never ceased 
to call “ the Blessed One ”—“ the Saint." 

The results of the mission confided by our Lord 
Himself to His humble apostle, are always visible 
and durable. The Confraternity of the Sacred 
Heart, established by her care, and flourishing until 
the dispersion of the Community, was re-established 
after the restoration of the Monastery in 1806. In 
order to give it still wider development, Monseigneur 
Robert, the eminent Bishop of Marseilles, obtained 
from Rome, in 1880, a Brief, erecting it into an 
Archconfraternity. As to the Vow made by the 
magistrates, it was uninterruptedly accomplished, 
even in the fatal days of the Reign of Terror. Even 
247 






LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


to-day (1899), the Church of the Visitation offers, on 
the feast of the Sacred Heart, the impressive sight 
of an immense and recollected throng crowding into 
it, to assist at the Mass, celebrated by His Lordship 
the Bishop. The honorable members of the Cham¬ 
ber of Commerce, in default of the Municipality 
which, for twenty years, has thought proper to ex¬ 
empt itself , receive Holy Communion and offer the 
traditional candle. His Lordship renews the Act of 
Reparation and the Consecration, composed by the 
immortal Bishop de Belsunce. In fine, the solemn 
Procession, which has been forbidden to pass through 
the streets, is made with not less fidelity in the 
Cathedral. The blessed name of Anne Madeleine, 
always heard amid these touching demonstrations, 
loudly proclaims that she was the mediatrix between 
God and her people, and remains forever the apostle 
of the devotion so dear to Marseilles. 

Numerous favors, obtained in our age, and especial¬ 
ly during these latter years, have revived in hearts 
the desire to see the angelic virgin raised to the 
honors of Beatification. Monseigneur Robert, ac¬ 
cepting the Postulatory Letters, presented to him for 
this purpose, opened, in 1885, a diocesan inquiry, 
248 



LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


which led to the introduction of the Cause at the 
Court of Rome, on the twenty-fourth of December, 
1891. The Apostolic Processes, commenced shortly 
after, are being actively pursued and permit us to 
catch a glimpse of the hour, when the Lord Himself 
will exalt this humble lover of His divine Heart. 
Confidence in the intercession of the Venerable Sister 
increases every day; so that, at the First Monastery 
of the Visitation of Marseilles are recorded twenty- 
five thousand novenas, made at the request of the 
pious faithful, since the beginning of the proceedings 
in 1885. Numerous ex-votos offered in gratitude for 
favors obtained, not only prove her power in Heaven, 
but also attest the truth of the words which fell, one 
day, from the lips of Anne Madeleine: “ God, 
almighty as He is, has not the power to refuse 
Himself to a soul who gives herself to Him without 
reserve.” 

Obtain for us, O sweet Victim of the Saviour, to 
yield ourselves up, as thou didst, to the mercy of love, 
in order that, having walked in thy footprints along 
the painful pathways of life, we may, throughout 
eternity, contemplate and bless with thee the Sacred 
Heart ! 


249 







CAUSE OF THE BEATIFICATION AND CANONIZATION 
OF THE VENERABLE SERVANT OF GOD, 

SISTER ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT, 

PROFESSED RELIGIOUS OF THE ORDER OF THE VISI¬ 
TATION OF HOLY MARY. 

Super dubio : 

“ An sit signanda Commissio introductionis Causae 
in casu, et adeffectum de quo agitur? 

Massiliae ortum duxit anno 1696, Anna Magda¬ 
lena Remuzat, sanctimonialis ex Ordine Visitationis 
Beatae Marine Virginis. Conspicua ejus virtutum 
praestantia, praesertim vero admirabilis erga Sacra- 
tissimum Cor Jesu pietas ac devotio, necnon ardens 
studium in propagando ipsius Divini Cordis cultu, 
turn in toto Visitationis Ordine, turn apud Mas- 
silienses, praeclaram Eidem sanctitatis famam compa- 
rarunt. Haec autem sanctitatis fama, ccelestibus quo- 
que suffulta charismatibus atque prodigiis quae hui- 
usce fidelis suae Ancillae intercessione a Deo patrata 
ferebantur post ipsius obitum, qui contigit anno 
1730, nedum non intercidit, sed in dies magis miri- 
fice excrevit. Quare factum est, ut R.mus Episcopus 

250 


LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


Massiliensis Inquisitionem super euisdem Servae 
Dei fama sanctitatis vitae, virtutum ac miraculorum 
Ordinaria auctoritate tandem instituerit. Qua rite 
expleta, et ad Sacram Rituum Congregationem ex- 
hibita Sanctissimus Dominus Noster Leo Papa XIII. 
benigne indulsit, ut de Dubio signaturae Commis- 
sionis introductionis Causae praedictae Servae Dei 
agi posse in eadem Sacra Rituum Congregatione 
Ordinaria, absque interventu et voto Consultorum, et 
si nondum elapso decennio a die praesentationis Infor- 
mativi Processus in Actis ipsius Sacrae Congregationis 
Hinc a me infrascripto Sacrae eidem Congregationi, 
Praefecto Causaeque Relatore, ad instantiam R. mi 
D. ni Caroli Nocella Pronototarii Apostolici, huiusce 
Causae Postulatoris, attentis postulatoriis litteris 
Serenissimi Austriae Imperatoris, plurimorum Em. 
orum Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalium R. 
morum Antistitum Sacrorum, aliorumque Virorum 
tarn eccesiastica quam civili dignitate illustrium, in 
Ordinario Sacrorum Rituum Congregationis Coetu, 
ad Vaticanum subsignata die coadunato, sequens 
Dubium discutiendum propositum fuit, nimirum : 
An sit signanda Cornmissio introdutionis causae in 
casu y et ad effectum de quo agitur ? 





LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


Sacra porro eadem Congregatio, omnibus maturo 
examine perpensis, auditoque voce et scripto R. P. 
D. Augustino Caprara S. Fidei Promo, tore, rescri- 
bendum censuit: Affirmative , si Sanctissimo Placue- 
rit . 

Die 19 decembris, 1891. 

Quibus omnibus per infrascriptum Secretarium 
Sanctissimo Domino Nostro Leoni Papae XIII. 
fideliter relatis, Sanctitas sua sententiam Sacrae 
Congregationis ratam habuit et confirmavit; pro- 
priaque signare dignata est Commissionem intro¬ 
duction^ Causae Praefatae Ven. Servae Dei Annae 
Magdalenae Remuzat. 

Die 24 iisdem mensae et anno. 

Cai., Cardinal AloIsi Massella, 

R. S. C. Prcefectus, 

VlNC. NUSSI, Sec. 

TRANSLATION. 

On the doubt : 

Is there reason to sign the Commission for the 
introduction of the Cause in the case and for the 
purpose in question ? 

Anne Madeleine Remuzat, religious of the Visi- 
252 





LIFE OF THE VEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 

tation of Holy Mary, was born at Marseilles, in 1696. 
The remarkable superiority of her virtues, and par¬ 
ticularly her admirable love and devotion to the 
Sacred Heart of Jesus, as well as the ardor of her 
zeal, in propagating the worship of this divine 
Heart, throughout the Order of the Visitation and 
among the people of Marseilles acquired for her an 
astonishing reputation for holiness. This reputation 
for holiness, supported by heavenly favors and 
miracles wrought by God, as were attributed, to 
the intercession of His faithful servant, after her 
‘death, in 1730, far from diminishing, has day by 
day so marvellously increased, that the Bishop of 
Marseilles went so far as to make the Inquiry of 
the Ordinary on the reputation for holiness, the 
virtues and the miracles. Brought to a close, ac¬ 
cording to all the rules, this Process having been 
presented to the Sacred Congregation of Rites, His 
Holiness Pope Leo the Thirteenth has deigned 
to permit discussion of the doubt of the signature 
of the commission for the introduction of the Cause 
of this Servant of God, in the Congregation of the 
Ordinary, without the intervention and the vote of 
the Consulters, although ten years have not elapsed 
253 



LIFE OF THE YEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


since the day when this Process was deposited in the 
Acts of the Sacred Congregation of Rites. For this 
reason, on the petition of Monsignor Charles Nocella, 
prothonotary apostolic and postulator of the Cause, 
taking into consideration the postulatory letters of 
His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, a very large 
number of the Cardinals of the holy Roman Church, 
Archbishops and Bishops, and many other person¬ 
ages ranked in ecclesiastical or civil dignity, in the 
ordinary meeting of the Congregation of Rites, 
held in the Vatican, on the day mentioned below, 
We, the undersigned Prefect of the said Congre¬ 
gation and Deponent of the Cause have proposed 
the discussion of the following doubt: is there 
reason to sign the Commission for the introduction 
of the Cause in the case and for the purpose in 
question ? 

The Sacred Congregation, after having weighed all 
things in a mature examination, and heard the re¬ 
marks made by word of mouth and in writing, by 
the Reverend Father D. Augustin Caprara, Promo¬ 
ter of the Faith, was of opinion to answer : Affirma¬ 
tively, if such is the good pleasure of His Holiness , 
the nineteenth of December, 1891. 

254 



LIFE OF THE VEN. ANNE MADELEINE REMUZAT. 


A faithful report of all this having been presented 
to His Holiness the Pope Leo the Thirteenth, by 
the undersigned Secretary, His Holiness ratified and 
confirmed the decision of the Sacred Congregation 
and with his own hand condescended to sign the 
Commission for the introduction of the Cause of the 
Venerable Servant of God, Anne Madeleine Remu- 
zat, on the twenty-fourth of December, of the same 
year. 

Gaetan, 

Cardinal Aloisi-Massela, 

Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites. 

Vincent Mussi, Secretary. 


255 











LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE 
SALES CHAPPUIS. 

OF THE 

VISITATION OF HOLY MARY. 










LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES 
CHAPPUIS, 

OF THE 

VISITATION OF HOLY MARY. 


CHAPTER FIRST. 

HER BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD (1793-1811). 

Mary Teresa Chappuis was born at SoyhRres, 
a little village on the confines of the Swiss Jura, on 
the sixteenth of June, 1793. Like Saint Francis of 
Sales, whose favored daughter she was one day to 
be, Teresa was a child of prayer. And if, as there 
can be no doubt, the prayers of a mother have a 
wonderful efficacy over the soul of her child, this was 
indeed the case with regard to the little Teresa. The 
ever-increasing horrors of the Revolution caused 
Madame Chappuis such constant fear and anxiety for 
the safety of her family, that, previous to the birth 
of her child, her life was several times in danger. 

Many and fervent, therefore, were the prayers she 
259 








LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


uttered and the promises she made for the little one 
that was about to be born in such sad and troubled 
times. And we may truly say that even before her 
birth, the eye of God prospectively rested with com¬ 
placency upon her, and that He awaited only the 
regenerating waters of baptism, to efface from her 
soul the stain of original sin, in order to bestow upon 
her the abundance of divine favors. 

Her parents belonged to the most ancient families 
of the neighborhood, and were revered and respected 
by all for their virtue and liberality. M. Pierre 
Joseph Chappuis had formerly served in the Life 
Guards of Louis XVI., but on the occasion of his 
marriage with Mdlle. Catherine Fleury, he resigned 
his commission, much to the regret of the King, 
who had honored him with many proofs of his es¬ 
teem and confidence. On his side, M. Chappuis 
always maintained feelings of tender devotedness 
towards the Royal Family, sentiments which he 
transmitted to his children, together with traditions 
of honor and loyalty, and that exquisite politeness 
of manner, which was so characteristic of the ancient 
French “ noblesse.” 

Teresa was the seventh of the eleven children with 
260 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


which heaven had blessed their marriage, and was 
so frail, that it was thought impossible she could 
live more than a few hours. But her pious mother, 
assured by an interior light that the sacrament of 
baptism would revive her, and give her all that was 
wanting to enable her to live, besought those around 
to procure at once this grace for her child. But 
what was to be done in those days of terror? No 
priest was to be had, for Soyhieres was then under 
the dominion of France, and it was death to any 
priest who was discovered exercising his sacred min¬ 
istry. 

A brother of M. Chappuis, who happened to be 
present, immediately resolved upon a plan which 
proved well the vivacity of his faith. “ I will take 
my little niece,” said he, “ to be baptized at Petit- 
Lucelled’ Petit-Lucelle is a village about two miles 
distant from Soyhieres, from which it is separated 
by a steep mountain, that serves as frontier between 
the two communes ; and not being under the revo¬ 
lutionary dominion, this village had preserved its 
church and priest. The little infant was therefore 
placed in a market basket, and covered with a clean 
cloth ; and, shouldering his precious burden, the good 
261 





LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


uncle started on his journey, which was not without 
considerable risk and danger. God, however, re¬ 
warded his faith; after a somewhat narrow escape, 
he arrived safely at the village, and little Teresa was 
baptized on the very day of her birth. 

Madame Chappuis henceforth looked upon this 
dear child, who still continued exceedingly delicate, 
as a treasure entrusted to her by God, and she left 
nothing undone to preserve a life that had been so 
marvellously restored. She not only provided care¬ 
fully for her temporal necessities, but far more for 
the welfare of her soul. She taught her early to 
know and love God, and inspired her with an in¬ 
tense horror of anything that might displease Him. 
Teresa was scarcely able to speak, when she already 
began to show by signs her love for all objects of 
devotion. When at prayer, she would join her little 
hands, and the angelic expression of her counten¬ 
ance, together with the profound recollection of her 
whole being, was so striking, that those present were 
wont to exclaim : “ This child will one day be a 
saint.” 

During her whole life she retained this attitude 
when at prayer, together with an expression of can- ' 
262 





LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


dor and the charm of a child, speaking to God with 
all the effusion of its soul. 

It was her delight to join her brothers and sisters 
in all their devotions. When only four years of age, 
she perceived that they rose every night towards 
midnight, and went silently to take part in some 
mysterious act of piety that was unknown to her. 
Teresa was greatly distressed at this, and immediate¬ 
ly besought her mother, to tell her what it was that 
her brothers and sisters did in the night. On her 
promising faithfully to keep the secret, Madame 
Chappuis told her that she should be called with the 
others that night. What was her surprise on being 
taken into a room in her aunt’s house, to see an altar 
on which were lighted tapers, and near it a priest, 
whom she recognized as her uncle, vested for Mass, 
while several persons were kneeling around in silent 
adoration. At first everything seemed to her 
strangely mysterious, but at the moment of the Ele¬ 
vation, “ I understood all,” she afterwards said ; 
“ God revealed Himself to me ; I saw that it was the 
Sacrifice of my Saviour; and the impression and 
illumination I then received have ever since been 
present to my mind.” 


263 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


M. Fleury, the good priest, had been for many 
years Cur6 of Soyhikres ; but, owing to the terrors 
of the Revolution, he was compelled to remain in 
close concealment during the day-time, and it was 
only under cover of the night that he ventured to 
issue forth from his hiding-place, in order to breathe 
for a few moments the fresh air, and say Mass in an 
adjoining room, at which the family of M. Chappuis 
and a few faithful and trustworthy servants assisted. 
Such scenes were well calculated to make a deep 
and lasting impression on the mind of a child like 
Teresa. 

From her earliest years she inherited from her 
parents that reverence and respect for the priests of 
God, which was so remarkable in her during the whole 
course of her life ; together with a love for truth and 
justice, of which she had so noble an example in her 
father. From her mother, who was a model of all 
domestic virtues, she imbibed a devoted love for the 
poor and needy, and especially for the exiled French 
priests, for whom her tender heart felt the deepest 
compassion. It was her greatest happiness to assist 
her good mother in the many generous services 
which she continually offered to those confessors of 
264 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


the Faith, many of whom were concealed under her 
hospitable roof or, when that became too dangerous, 
in the neighboring farms; and at the tender age of 
six years, Teresa was employed by Madame Chap- 
puis as a sufficiently discreet and trustworthy mes¬ 
senger. 

She had a passionate love of nature, and of all that 
is true and beautiful. The grace of Baptism had 
strengthened and developed all the natural qualities 
of her mind and heart ; and, though but a child, she 
already fore-shadowed what she would one day be, 
and was named, by the villagers and the servants of 
the house, “ M. Chappuis’ little saint.” Her natu¬ 
ral earnestness of character caused her to take no 
pleasure in the toys and pastimes of children of her 
age ; she always received them with sweetness and 
affectionate thanks, but after looking at them for a 
few minutes, and expressing her admiration, she 
would take them to her mother to be put away in 
the cupboard. Her uncle once gave her a beautiful 
doll; as soon as Teresa found herself alone, she took 
it in her arms, and, looking at it attentively, said: 
“ Who created you, and placed you in this world ? ” 
and, on receiving no answer, exclaimed : “ It has no 
265 





LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


soul: it can neither know, love, nor serve God : I 
will have nothing to do with it.’' So saying, she 
cast the doll contemptuously away, nor would she 
ever look at it again. She once heard a lady, who 
had lived a pious and edifying life, say at the hour 
of death : “ O my God, how hard it is to see the light, 
when there is no more time to profit by it.” These 
words made such an impression on Teresa, that she 
used often to say : “ O my God, I beseech Thee to 
give me light, while there is yet time ; it is so sad not 
to see what we have to do for Thee ! ” 

At the age of eight years, Teresa received her 
First Communion. Her innocence and purity of soul 
had won for her the special love of the Sacred Heart 
of Jesus ; and this was the moment chosen by Him to 
bestow upon her the first fruits of the many signal 
graces which He had destined for her. She too gave 
herself unreservedly to God, promising to live hence¬ 
forth only for Him. 

It must not be supposed, however, that these ex¬ 
traordinary favors of the divine goodness made this 
young child less sociable ; far from it, she was all the 
more sweet and engaging with her brothers and sis¬ 
ters; for God became, so to say, the bond which 
266 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


united her soul most intimately with her home, her 
family, and her country. 

Shortly after Teresa’s First Communion, the church 
of Soyhieres, which had been closed during the days 
of the Revolution, was restored to the use of the 
pious villagers, and the good Cur6 was once more 
able to exercise freely his priestly functions. To his 
beloved niece was allotted the charge of the sanctu¬ 
ary lamp, and nothing could equal the zeal and de¬ 
votion with which she accomplished this duty of love 
for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. 

Amongst her brothers and sisters, there was one 
for whom Teresa felt a special affection. The near¬ 
ness of age, character, and disposition, together with 
the delicate health of Frangois, united them in the 
closest bonds of friendship. Together they perform¬ 
ed their exercises of devotion, and constructed huts 
in imitation of the hermits, where they conversed to¬ 
gether on God and holy things, and confided to each 
other their desire of becoming saints. 

In the neighborhood of Soyhieres ‘is a shrine con¬ 
secrated to Our Lady of Forbourg. This was a fa¬ 
vorite place of pilgrimage for the two children ; it 
was to Our Lady of Forbourg that they went in all 
267 







LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


their necessities, and nothing was done without hav¬ 
ing first consulted her; thither, too, Madame Chap- 
puis would send them to obtain any special grace for 
herself or family. On the opposite side of the vil¬ 
lage may be seen, half way up the mountain, a little 
ruined church, dedicated to Our Lady of the Holy 
Souls. Francois, who was already attacked by that 
terrible illness, which, after eleven years of linger¬ 
ing consumption, was to end in a premature death, 
was particularly drawn to this deserted sanctuary. 
“Come,” he would say to Teresa, “let us go and 
pray for the dead, and in so doing we shall also be 
praying for me.” After a long and fatiguing walk, 
they would arrive at the chapel, where, after passing 
some time in prayer, they would sit on a stone facing 
this desolate spot, and speak together long and ear¬ 
nestly of the happiness of seeing and loving God 
eternally. 

At the age of twelve years, Teresa was sent to the 
School of the Visitation at Fribourg in Switzerland. 
The separation from her family, especially from her 
beloved brother Frangois, caused her such intense 
suffering as to endanger her health, and even her life. 
She nevertheless persevered, and remained there 
268 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


three years, during which time she was frequently 
obliged to return to Soyhi&res, on account of ill-health. 
Her unpretending virtue and amiability of manner, 
won for her the love and esteem of all with whom 
she came in contact ; for understanding the import¬ 
ant truth, that the perfection of a pupil consists in 
not distinguishing herself by any peculiarities from 
her companions, with whom she should form but one 
heart and one soul, this young girl made herself so 
completely all to all, that she seemed, as it were, to 
pass unobserved among them. 

Shortly after her return home, she had the grief of 
assisting at the death-bed of her brother Francois. 
Her last request to him was, that he should obtain 
for her from God the grace never to know any other 
love here below than that of His divine Will, and 
that she might live only for His holy love. Francois 
promised, and after receiving the last sacraments, he 
breathed forth his pure soul into the hands of Him 
Whom he had loved and served so faithfully during 
his short life. 

New home duties now opened before Teresa, in 
the midst of which she would often retire to the 
house of her uncle, in the quiet and solitude of which 
269 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


she found her greatest happiness. The little room 
in which she had assisted at her first Mass, had been 
converted into an oratory, and here Teresa would 
pass hours in intimate union and converse with her 
divine Saviour, who, although imperceptibly, was 
drawing her ever closer to Himself. This constant 
union with God did not, however, in any way pre¬ 
vent her from shedding a charm of brightness and 
joy over the house and the declining years of the 
venerable Cure. Thus passed the next few years of 
the life of Teresa Chappuis, in the midst of family 
joys and filial duties. But those around her already 
foresaw the sacrifice which awaited them, for it was 
evident to all that God had special designs over the 
pure soul of this young girl. 


CHAPTER SECOND. 

SHE ENTERS THE NOVICIATE OF THE VISITATION 
AT FRIBOURG IN SWITZERLAND (l8ll). 

Teresa had long felt an interior desire to conse¬ 
crate herself to God in the cloister. In order to 
assure herself as to the divine will, she proposed to 
270 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


undertake a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Einsiedeln, 
situated about seventy-five miles from Soyhieres, and 
there consult the Blessed Virgin on the subject of 
her vocation. Her parents, though fearing some¬ 
what for her health, which was at that time ex¬ 
tremely delicate, felt interiorly that it was the will 
of God she should undertake the pilgrimage, and 
gave their consent, committing her to the charge of 
three women of the village. After a long and fa¬ 
tiguing journey, which, according to the pious cus¬ 
tom of the times, was performed on foot, the pilgrims 
arrived at Einsiedeln, at the time when the evening 
Angelus was ringing. The sight of the splendid 
Abbey, with its magnificent monuments and rich 
ornamentation, together with the solemnity of its 
services, made an indelible impression on Teresa. 
A feeling of joy, mingled with admiration and grati¬ 
tude, filled her heart; and Our Lady, who never 
fails to hear the prayer of those who go to her with 
child-like confidence, granted the fervent pilgrim 
all the light that she had come to seek in her sanct¬ 
uary. 

On her return home, she made known to her parents 
the determination she had taken of entering some 
271 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


religious order at once. But the fatigues of the 
journey, and her grief for the loss of her brother, had 
told seriously upon her already delicate health, and 
her parents hesitated to give their consent. The 
doctor was consulted, and declared that change of 
air was absolutely necessary. Teresa took advantage 
of this, to obtain leave to go to Fribourg. It was in 
the month of June, 1811, at the hour of Vespers, that 
she arrived at the convent. On beholding the walls 
of the enclosure, so profound a sadness overwhelmed 
her soul, that she was on the point of returning with 
her mother to Soyhieres. She decided, however, to 
remain, but the intense longing desire to return to 
her native land increased, and became so strong, and 
at the same time, her soul was plunged in a sea of 
such bitter interior trial and desolation, that believ¬ 
ing she was not where God willed her to be, she 
finally determined to leave the convent. No sooner, 
however, had she returned home than another fear 
seized her. Was she doing the will of God, or was 
she not rather doing her own ? Was she not, like 
Jonas, fleeing from the face of the Lord ? Such and 
similar questions were constantly presenting them¬ 
selves to her mind. This interior conflict continued 
272 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 




during the three following years, which Teresa passed 
in the midst of her family ; and it was all the more 
painful, as our Lord seemed to hide Himself behind 
an obscure cloud, and all the interior lights and 
graces which He had hitherto bestowed upon her, 
were now withdrawn. But the hour of deliverance 
was at hand. One day when she was praying fer¬ 
vently in her favorite resort, the sanctuary of Our 
Lady of Forbourg, she felt once more interiorly en¬ 
lightened, and understood that it was the will of 
God that she should return to Fribourg. She lost 
no time in making the necessary preparations, and 
on the twenty-first of November, 1814, the generous 
young girl once more quitted the home of her child¬ 
hood, to go where her Lord called her. She was 
accompanied by her elder brother and sister, and 
followed by the regrets and affection of the whole 
village. 

On arriving at the convent gates, a mortal agony 
again seized her, and, as though to prove the fidelity 
of His handmaid, our Lord once more withdrew His 
sensible grace, and for a brief moment a cloud of 
sorrow and darkness overshadowed her soul. 
Scarcely, however, had she crossed the threshold, 


18 


273 






LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


and heard the enclosure door lock behind her, than 
all her repugnances vanished, and she was filled with 
interior light and joy. “ It is over! ” she exclaimed, 
as she entered the parlor where her brother was anx¬ 
iously awaiting her; “I am now a Religious for 
ever! ” The mistress of novices was not long in 
discovering the treasure which had been confided to 
her care, and she foretold that this young girl would 
be one of the lights and pillars of the Order. 

In the following June, Teresa was clothed with 
the religious habit, and received the name of Mary 
Francis de Sales, names expressive of her devotion 
to the Blessed Virgin, and of her ardent and filial 
love for St. Francis of Sales, of whom she was wont 
to say : “ Everything in our holy Founder pleases 
me; not only does he satisfy my reason, but he 
charms my heart and my inclinations.” As we 
study her after-life, we shall see that this veneration 
was not merely a passing enthusiasm, but a life-long 
devotion. Not only the doctrine of St. Francis of 
Sales, which she constantly studied in his works, but 
even his manner of speaking, of acting, and of judg¬ 
ing; his dealings with others; his direction of souls; 
and, above all, his manner of communicating with 
274 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


God : all these traits of the great Saint of Geneva 
were admirably reproduced in Mother Mary de 
Sales. 

The young novice now commenced that work of in¬ 
terior and exterior formation which is the foundation 

I 

and basis of all religious perfection. She began by 
penetrating herself with the spirit of the Directory, a 
little book composed by St. Francis of Sales for the 
spiritual direction of his children. The Constitutions 
give rules for the exterior life, the nature of the 
various exercises, and the times for practising them. 
The Directory assigns to each exercise a thought or 
an intention. The Constitutions therefore, form the 
exterior, or the body; the Directory, the interior, 
or the soul, of the religious exercises. A well-trained 
soldier performs instinctively, as it were, and with¬ 
out any effort, the most complicated manoeuvres: 
even so a Religious of the Visitation, when formed 
to her Directory, enters upon a path of confidence, 
simplicity and peace, which aid her marvellously in 
the accomplishment of all the obligations of her state. 
Sister Mary de Sales, therefore, entered on this way 
with a firm and generous will, nor was she ever known 
to hesitate in giving to God whatever He asked of her. 
275 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


This constant unswerving fidelity merited for her so 
great an increase of interior joy and light, that she 
seemed a stranger tq all that passed around her in the 
house. Her interior training, however, prevented 
her in no way from being always present at the call 
of duty and the Rule, to which she adjusted her en¬ 
tire being. 

On the ninth of June, 1816, the fervent novice had 
the happiness of pronouncing the three vows of re¬ 
ligion. During the ceremony her soul was filled 
with spiritual joy and consolation, and she expe¬ 
rienced an increase of grace and strength in God. It 
is a pious custom in Convents of the Visitation for the 
sister, when prostrate under the pall, to ask of God 
all the graces which she desires for her family and 
friends, and finally, whatever she considers most 
necessary for herself in the state of life that she has 
chosen. Holy profession being considered a truly 
heroic act, it is piously believed that God would 
never refuse any grace asked for at that moment 
by the newly professed. Many of the pupils and 
friends of the house therefore, being anxious that 
their intentions may not be forgotten, give notes on 
which they are written, to be laid by her under the 
276 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


pall, so that she may recommend them altogether 
fervently to God. 

Sister Mary de Sales did not forget any of those 
whom she had known and loved. For herself, how¬ 
ever, she asked but one grace, and that was, never 
to be the object of the natural love of any one. 
This heroic act proved the generosity of her love 
for God ; and her prayer was heard and granted, to 
the great advantage of all who had the happiness of 
living afterwards under her guidance. No one in 
the convent was more universally loved than this 
good Mother; it would be impossible for anyone to 
inspire more respect and confidence, or a more pro¬ 
found attachment and devotedness ; but the sincere 
affection, which all felt for her, took away nothing 
of that love which she owed to God, or her sense of 
His divine Presence. 

Scarcely a year had elapsed since her profession, 
when she was sent by her Superiors to Metz, to co¬ 
operate in the re-establishment of the convent of 
the Visitation in that town. The change from the 
spacious and well-regulated cloister of Fribourg was 
great, and our young sister felt it keenly, but she 
exclaimed: “ Where would be the merit of obe- 
277 





LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


dience, if it did not impose sacrifices?” The want 
of space and air, however, combined with the many- 
inevitable privations of a newly founded community, 
told seriously upon the delicate health of Sister 
Mary de Sales, and a violent fever soon reduced her 
to the last extremity. Her Superiors were alarmed, 
and hastened to recall her to Fribourg. Once 
again the Blessed Virgin came to the assistance of 
her beloved child. On the eve of her departure 
from Metz, Sister Mary de Sales, with the sanction 
of her Mother Superior, made a vow to Our Lady 
of Forbourg, that if God restored her to health, she 
would engage one of her brothers to make a pilgrim¬ 
age to Forbourg in her name. Scarcely had she ut¬ 
tered the vow, when she felt herself suddenly cured, 
and was able to start on her long and tedious journey 
the following day. 

On her return to Fribourg, she was charged with 
the care of the noviciate. Though still young, this 
fervent mistress possessed the secret of expanding the 
hearts of her novices, and at the same time, enacting 
from them a perfect fidelity to all the rules. “ Neither 
more nor less than the rule prescribes”—such was 
her device and constant practice. Before she en- 
278 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


tered upon her charge, our Lord assured her that He 
would Himself make choice of His spouses, and that 
He would not permit any to be admitted whom He 
had not predestined for Himself. This promise 
of her divine Master was fulfilled in a marvellous 
manner, for, during the many years that she was 
either mistress of novices or superior, not one was 
known to quit the religious habit and return to the 
world. 


CHAPTER THIRD. 

SISTER MARY DE SALES IS NAMED SUPERIORESS 
OF THE MONASTERY OF TROYES (1826). 

The Convent of the Visitation at Troyes, in France, 
was founded in the year 1631. During the Revolu¬ 
tion of 1789, the Sisters were forced to leave their en¬ 
closure, and seek shelter in different houses of the city, 
where they were dependent for their daily bread on 
the work of their hands or on alms, for the revolu¬ 
tionists had seized all they possessed, even the 
sacred vessels of the sanctuary. The many pri¬ 
vations and terrors of that fearful time tended to 
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LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


shorten the life of many among them ; and when, 
in 1807, they returned to their convent, they were 
only fifteen in number. The house, although two- 
thirds in ruins, had been re-purchased and restored 
to them through the munificence of a friend ; and 
their fidelity in remaining united during all the 
horrors and misfortunes of the Revolution, had 
drawn down upon them many and signal graces. 
Soon after their return, several of the nuns from the 
convent of Beaune joined their sisters at Troyes, 
bringing with them not only some church vestments, 
which they had succeeded in saving from the hands 
of the Revolutionists, but also the true religious 
spirit with which they were themselves animated. 
It was not long before some young ladies of the best 
families of the neighborhood were led by the Holy 
Spirit to ask admission into the noviciate. 

There was but one thing now wanting to complete 
the happiness of this fervent little band, and that 
was a Superior who, having been brought up in a 
house of strict observance, would be able to guide 
them with a sure hand, in the way traced out by 
their holy Founders. Many and fervent, therefore, 
were the prayers and penances which they offered to 
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LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


obtain this grace, and God heard their petition. One 
day when Sister Mary de Sales was wrapt in prayer, 
our Lord gave her to understand that He was about 
to call her to serve Him at a distance from Fribourg. 
Thus it was that this good Mother was destined by 
Providence to re-establish the perfect observance of 
the rule in the community of Troyes, which had 
undergone so many trials and sufferings. 

Ever since the return of Sister Mary de Sales to 
Fribourg, she had been a constant invalid, and un¬ 
able to digest any solid food ; nevertheless, in spite 
of her delicate health, and although so young, her 
superiors, guided by the Spirit of God, acceded to 
the earnest entreaties of the sisters of Troyes, and 
consented to her being elected superioress of that 
house. Scarcely had she started on her long jour¬ 
ney thither than she felt her health completely re¬ 
stored, and, to the surprise of those who accompanied 
her, was able to take solid food, which she had been 
so long unable to do. This she regarded as another 
sign and proof of the divine Will. On the way she 
stopped at Annecy, the first house of the Visitation, 
where, kneeling at the shrines of St. Francis of 
Sales and St. Jane de Chantal, Founders of the 
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LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


Order, she received an interior light by which she 
foresaw, not only all she would have to do at Troyes, 
but also the special work awaiting her in each in¬ 
dividual soul. This grace was again repeated at the 
sanctuary of Notre Dame-du-Chene, about seven 
miles distant from Troyes, and strength was given 
to her from above for the work she was about to 
undertake. “It was there,” she said, “that I re¬ 
ceived the most light, and was animated with the 
greatest confidence.” It was on the first of June, 
1826, that she reached Troyes, where she was wel¬ 
comed as one sent by God. On the following day, 
the Bishop, Monseigneur des Hons, confirmed her 
election, and in this first visit, his Lordship gave to 
the young superioress his full and entire confidence, 
a confidence which he continued until the end of his 
life, consulting her even in all the more difficult 
affairs of his diocese. As for the sisters, they were 
all penetrated with a sentiment of profound respect 
for the Mother whom Providence had sent them. 
“ See,” exclaimed the younger ones, “ see what it is 
to be a Religious ! Oh! how beautiful it is to be 
such as our holy Founder wishes we should be ! ” 
Her countenance habitually wore an expression of 
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LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CIIAPPUIS. 


profound recollection, mingled with an air of piety, 
so sweet and attractive, that the sisters were charmed. 
When she returned from prayer, this expression 
assumed something quite imposing and heavenly, 
which inspired devotion and interior recollection 
among all those with whom she came in contact. 
To this powerful attractiveness of her virtue and her 
fidelity to the practices of the religious life, was joined 
that ascendancy which her profound knowledge 
of the interior life gave her. 

The soundness of her judgments, combined with a 
wonderful clearness of mind, straightforwardness and 
strength of will, led her instinctively to reach her 
end by the shortest way, without ever allowing her¬ 
self to be influenced by any consideration beyond 
that of duty. She commenced therefore by gaining 
the hearts of her sisters in order to lead them to a 
more loving and child-like obedience and submission. 
“ Ah, my daughters,” she would say, “ how easy it 
is to fall a victim to self-love ! And yet our holy 
Founder wishes us to be strong and firm. Cut short, 
therefore, all the threads of your own will, and then 
you will be able to fly in the way of obedience.” 

This was at first no easy matter, for many of those 
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LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


good old sisters, having been compelled to think and 
act for themselves during the fifteen years they had 
passed in the world, had acquired a certain spirit of 
independence, and an inclination to pass judgment 
upon everything that went on around them. But 
the hand chosen by Providence for the work of 
transformation, was holy and well suited to the task ; 
and it was not long before the heart and will of each 
one were enclosed in those of her superioress. God, 
Who never allows Himself to be out-done in gener¬ 
osity, granted them in return a superabundance of 
interior and exterior graces ; and the convent of 
Troyes, under the rule of the good Mother, might be 
likened to the celebrated Abbey of Clairvaux, during 
the lifetime of St. Bernard. There, as at Clairvaux, 
the inmates experienced ineffable joys, and received 
extraordinary lights, and there God manifested 
Himself and conversed familiarly with many of the 
sisters. Encouraged by the advice, but still more 
by the example of their Mother, the community ad¬ 
vanced with giant strides in the way of perfection, 
and strict observance of the rule. The sweet odor 
of the virtues practised within the enclosure of the 
Visitation could not long remain hidden, and very 
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LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


soon persons of every rank and condition sought 
counsel and advice of the good Mother. Monsei¬ 
gneur des Hons, bishop of Troyes, undertook nothing 
of importance without first consulting her ; and used 
to say: “Your prayers, my good Mother, give me 
courage.” Many of the priests of the diocese like¬ 
wise had recourse to her, and they all affirmed that 
the union of their prayers with those of Mother Mary 
de Sales was the most efficacious means for obtain¬ 
ing strength, courage, and success in their ministry. 
In truth, she was not destined to be a light placed 
on the candlestick of the Visitation only, but it was 
to shed its soft and gentle rays over a multitude of 
souls living in the world, as well as in the ecclesiasti¬ 
cal or religious state. To persons of the world she 
generally recommended, first of all, the practice of 
the commandments of God and of the Church; but 
what she urged most strongly was, fidelity to the 
duties of their state of life. 

It was the year 1830; serious events were taking 
place in France ; Charles the Tenth had been de¬ 
throned, and Louis Philippe enthroned in his place. 
The good Mother, to whom all this had been pre¬ 
viously revealed by our Lord, consoled and com- 
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LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


forted all who came to her, in their fears and anxie¬ 
ties for the future, assuring them that the religious 
houses would not be disturbed, that war would not 
break out, and that the clergy need have no fear of 
having to suffer persecution from the Revolutionists. 

Her vigilance and solicitude for the peace of her 
daughters was, however, so great, that during the 
whole of that eventful year, the Community, with 
the exception of one or two sisters, whose duties 
brought them into inevitable contact with the outer 
world, remained in happy ignorance of the agitated 
state of the country, and their habitual calm and 
union with God were in no way disturbed. About 
this time, the good Mother undertook the construc¬ 
tion of a large and spacious wing, for the accommo¬ 
dation of the school, which was frequented by the 
daughters of all the first families of the town and 
neighborhood. Many of the friends of the house 
looked upon this as an act of imprudence, at a 
time when the worst passions of the nation were 
striving for the mastery, and France was threatened 
with serious internal troubles ; but placing all her 
confidence in God, she calmly continued her work. 
The building finished, several new regulations were 
286 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


made to counteract certain abuses, which, owing to 
the past religious and social troubles, had impercep¬ 
tibly crept in, to the detriment of conventual observ¬ 
ance. As in every work which is undertaken for 
the glory of God, the cross is a seal and sign of the 
blessing of heaven, so in this it was not wanting to 
Mother Mary de Sales. But to all the opposition 
which arose from outside, she invariably answered : 
“ We must seek first the kingdom of God and His 
glory, and everything else will be added to us in 
abundance. The kingdom of God for us consists in 
the observance of our Rules and Constitutions, from 
which we should never deviate.” Her confidence 
was not misplaced, for after a few years, the school 
became more flourishing and the number of pupils 
larger than ever. No doubt, in the wonderful designs 
of Providence, this period which, though not want¬ 
ing in many trials and privations, was nevertheless 
abundant in spiritual graces, was necessary to estab¬ 
lish the sisters more firmly in the practice of the 
religious and the interior life, after which they had 
so long and ardently sighed. 

The term, however, which, according to a rule laid 
down by St. Francis of Sales, limits the duration of 
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LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


the superiority to six years, had now expired ; and 
on the election of a new superior, Mother Mary de 
Sales was named Mistress of Novices. The follow¬ 
ing year, at the earnest solicitations of the sisters of 
the second convent of the Visitation in Paris, she was 
sent thither by her Superiors, and remained there as 
Mistress of Novices for six months. “ Here as at 
Troyes,” wrote the sisters, “ every word and action 
of this saintly Religious bore the impress of divine 
grace.” The community was renewed in fervor 
and religious observance. The spirit of St. Francis 
of Sales animated the hearts of all, exciting them to 
an ever-increasing love of the life hidden with Christ 
in God. Through our Saviour the way was open, 
the narrow way of love and sacrifice, which perfects 
and consummates the work of God in the soul. 

In 1838, she was elected Superioress of the second 
Convent of Paris, to the inexpressible grief of the 
community of Troyes, where she had been holding 
the reins of government since the year 1835. 

The good Mother, who had an ardent love and 
respect for all which concerns the honor and service 
of God, had long felt an intense desire to restore the 
convent church, whose aspect of poverty filled her 
288 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


with grief. As was her custom, she had awaited the 
expression of the Divine Will to put her plan into 
execution and raise an altar more suitable and 
worthy of the supreme Majesty. Shortly after her 
return, however, the necessary means, which had 
hitherto failed, having been furnished by Providence, 
the good Mother understood that it was the moment 
destined by God for her to commence the work. 
The preliminary steps were consequently taken, but 
when the measurements were being made, it was 
found that the walls of the convent were in a most 
unsafe condition, several beams being split, and the 
foundations had in some places literally crumbled 
away. It was therefore necessary to put props in 
every direction so as to ensure the safety of the 
Community during the time of anxiety and incerti¬ 
tude which ensued. As the reconstruction of the 
house would be attended, not only by excessive 
dangers, but also entail expenses far beyond the re¬ 
sources of the Community, it was thought advisable 
to make efforts to sell the convent, and that the 
Community, which was numerous, should seek refuge 
elsewhere. All the negotiations, however, failed at 
the last moment ; and, as though God wished to try 
19 289 








LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


the confidence of His faithful servant to the utmost, 
a part of the premises, including the kitchen and 
store-rooms, was at that time taken by the city offi¬ 
cials for a road, the construction of which had been 
in project over sixty years. The distress and agony 
of the good Mother were indescribable. “ We can 
indeed now say to God,” she exclaimed, “ Our Father, 
who art in heaven, we have no home.” On the 
twenty-ninth of June, a ray of hope inspired her 
with fresh courage, but it was soon to be over¬ 
shadowed, and she said to her sisters at the afternoon 
assembly : “ St. Peter has brought us a heavy stone.” 
(St. Pierre nous a apportd une lourde pierre.) Never¬ 
theless, she continued to exert every effort in order 
to assure the future good of the Community, but 
she did nothing without being guided by light from 
above. 

At last, after two years of prayer and anxious 
suspense, the good Mother no longer doubted that it 
was the will of God she should commence the great 
work of reconstruction, which was to bring with it so 
many unforeseen difficulties. Now, indeed, more 
than ever had she to place her entire confidence in 
God, in order not to be cast down or discouraged. 
290 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


“ We must,” she said, “ consider all as coming from 
God; we must think of the God of the house, and 
not of the house.” The workmen were therefore 
called in, and portion after portion of the falling 
building was consolidated or rebuilt, without any 
accident. 

On the eighth of December, 1842, feast of the 
Immaculate Conception, the convent and church, in 
which two new altars had been erected, were finished, 
and a solemn Te Deum was sung by the Community 
in thanksgiving for their wonderful preservation, and 
also for all the known and unknown graces of those 
years of trial. 

“ There are many more that we do not know, 
than what we do know,” said the good Mother to 
her sisters ; then, turning towards the new altar, she 
continued: “It is already four years since God 
asked for this altar, and we had to wait until to¬ 
day, to present it to him : this shows us that we 
must not be in a hurry to act, but await the mo¬ 
ments of God.” 

During all this time of anxiety and exterior occupa¬ 
tion, the interior work of souls had in no way been 
neglected by this vigilant superior. Each sister be- 
291 





LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


held in her Mother, the representative of God, and the 
visible expression of His Will, and all willingly con¬ 
formed themselves to her every desire. “ Our Mother 
was not only animated by the Spirit of God,” asserts 
Sister Marie Stephanie Guernet, Assistant of the 
Community, “ of which her every word and action 
was a proof, but she possessed so intimate a knowl¬ 
edge of souls, and of what was passing in them, 
that one may say she saw them as well as if she held 
them in her hand. This inspired everyone with so 
much confidence that, on leaving our Mother, one felt 
as though one had been with our Lord Himself.” 
There was nothing remarkable about her ; neverthe¬ 
less her whole exterior portrayed the sanctity of a 
soul that holds converse with God. She was inva¬ 
riably the same, always bright and gay, dispensing 
life and joy to all around her. The Holy Spirit had 
given her a clear and precise insight into the spirit 
of her holy Founder, and, like him, she knew how to 
render the practice of virtue, sweet and easy; to 
bring souls to forget themselves, and to hover round 
their Saviour, in order to study and imitate His life 
and virtues. 

Her intimate union with God, and child-like 
292 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


dependence upon Him, were remarkable, not only 
in interior, but also in exterior matters. She took 
an interest in every detail, and so little did she 
appear embarrassed, that one would have imagined 
she was acquainted with every kind of work. 

The result was the same at Paris as at Troyes. 
Persons of every position in life came to seek her 
advice, and that not only on matters of importance, 
for many priests and superiors of Religious Com¬ 
munities never undertook the most trivial business 
without having first consulted Mother Mary de 
Sales. Monseigneur de Quelen, Archbishop of Paris, 
held her in profound veneration, and often visited 
her to ask her prayers and advice. The death of 
this noble confessor of the Faith was a blow all 
the more painful to her, as with him the last link 
in that chain which bound her to the traditions in 
which she had been brought up, seemed to be 
severed. 

Monseigneur des Hons, Bishop of Troyes, never 
went to Paris without visiting and consulting the 
good Mother. “ God,” he said, “ has removed the 
candle; I must therefore come here in order to 
see clearly.” The name of the good Mother even 
293 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


reached the Court, and Queen Marie Amalie sent 
one of her Maids of Honor to ask the prayers of 
the worthy Superioress for herself and her children. 

Again, how many good and fervent priests owed, 
as they themselves confessed on many occasions, 
not only their own spiritual advancement, but also 
that of those under their care, after God, to the ad¬ 
vice and prayers of this holy Superioress? She was 
in truth the Mother and friend of all. Timid souls 
found in her the tender charity and compassion of 
the Sacred Heart; and her decisions, always clear 
and concise, were for them their surest stay. 

Those, on the contrary, who were energetic and 
decided, saw in her a General marching at their 
head, exciting them to fight bravely, and leading 
them on to victory. The children and grand-chil¬ 
dren of the numerous friends of the convent were to 
her, so to say, as her own ; the younger ones were 
always brought to her to be blessed. Whatever 
she then said concerning the future of these little 
ones, was regarded as prophetic, and carefully noted 
down with the most religious respect; nor did her 
words ever once fail to be realized. 


294 






CHAPTER FOURTH. 


THE GOOD MOTHER AND THE WORK OF 
EDUCATION. 

In the year 1844, we find the good Mother again 
at the head of the community of Troyes. Hitherto 
we have considered her as mistress of novices, as 
superioress, and as counsellor of persons living in the 
world. We will now contemplate her in the work 
of education. 

Although, according to the first intention of its 
holy Founder, the Order, strictly speaking, is not a 
teaching Order ; nevertheless, in his usual breadth 
of spirit, St. Francis of Sales did not absolutely re¬ 
fuse the admission of children into his houses, and 
during his lifetime young girls were admitted for 
education under certain conditions. They wore a 
little habit planned by the holy Bishop himself, and 
went by the name of “ Sisters of the Little Habit." 
By degrees their numbers increased, and thus it was 
that these “ Little Sisters," or Aspirants to the re¬ 
ligious life, prepared the way for the systematic 
295 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPFUTS. 


schools, which gradually increased and flourished 
during the lifetime of the first members of the 
Order. 

Mother Mary de Sales understood that the main 
object of the Visitation schools should be to assist 
the Church by bringing up women imbued with a 
truly Christian spirit, which, at that time was, as it 
still is, so greatly needed. She gave herself there¬ 
fore wholly to the work. Her first and principal 
care was to arrange every detail in such a manner 
that the quiet and recollection of the community 
should in no way suffer from the contact with this 
little world ; and that the school should not interfere 
with the cloisteral observance. It was therefore, as 
are the schools of all the convents of the Visitation, 
so entirely shut off from the convent, that those sis¬ 
ters who were not employed in it knew nothing of 
what went on there, and were ignorant even as to 
the number of pupils or their names. Her next care 
was for the material necessities and health of the 
children committed to her care: “ We must not al¬ 
low such things,” she would say, “ to stand in the 
way of their going to God.” For it was to lead 
them to God that she wished to have pupils ; it was 
296 





LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


in order to guide them in the way of sanctification, 
through the means offered by St. Francis of Sales, 
that she desired to unite under her roof those young 
children who, later on, would carry his spirit into 
their families and into the world. The influence of 
the good Mother over the pupils extended itself to 
everything which concerned them. She understood 
how to guide their tastes and wills, and inspire them 
with sentiments of faith and piety, the love of work 
and study, and a desire for all that is beautiful, noble, 
and generous. Her idea was to exercise them in the 
virtues which they would be called upon to practise 
in the world, and to regulate their habits of piety 
according to the circumstances in which they would 
be thrown in after-life. “You will have nothing to 
change,” she often said to them ; “ remain as you 
are.” And again : “ It is God’s Will that we should 
save our souls; that we should be good towards 
those with whom we live ; and that we should pre¬ 
serve whatever He has given us for our own use, or 
for that of others. We shall have to render an ac¬ 
count to God of material as well as of spiritual goods, 
because all proceed equally from the goodness of 
H is Heart towards us. The great science is to know 
297 





LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


how to refer all to Him, and to receive all from 
Him. It is of God that we should take coun¬ 

sel with regard to the choice of a state of life ; and 
the place to hear His answer is on our death-bed, 
whither we should transport ourselves in spirit, and 
then consider what we should wish to have done at 
such a moment/' 

The good Mother was wont to affirm that the 
residence of pupils in a regular convent, where they 
see nothing but what is most edifying, has a con¬ 
siderable influence over their education. “ This was 
the thought of our holy Founder,” she said, “when 
he established our ‘ Little Sisters,’ many of whom 
consecrated themselves to God in religion, while 
others became distinguished women in Society.” 
“ They have,” she continued, “ all the benefit of the 
religious life, without its obligations ; . . . they 
can there fortify and prepare themselves for the life 
which lies before them.” “ The pupils of the Visita¬ 
tion hold their place everywhere,” says Cardinal 
Mermillod, “ they may be found in every grade of 
society, carrying out the ideal of a Christian woman. 
They are neither above nor beneath anything. 
They attain equally the two extremities of every 
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LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


situation, and are as admirable, as great, and as com¬ 
plete in the most humble as in the highest ranks of 
society.” Again, according to Pope Pius the Ninth, 
and several distinguished Cardinals and Bishops :— 
“ The pupils of the Visitation are formed in the 
spirit of St. Francis of Sales to be women capable 
of all positions in life, accustomed to the love of 
duty, finding their happiness in the midst of their 
families, and incapable of letting themselves be 
drawn away from the domestic circle by the amuse¬ 
ments and frivolities of the world ; courageous 
women, who know how to find all that is wanting to 
their hearts where God has placed them ; and who, 
in their Faith and habitual self-sacrifice, possess all 
that is necessary to satisfy themselves and fulfil the 
mission which is confided to them.” 

Such were the pupils formed by the good Mother; 
and on her death-bed she expressed a wish that the 
convent of Troyes should continue this work, which 
had been visibly blessed by God during so many 
years. The thought that in after years the school 
might possibly be closed, was the only thing which 
troubled her in that hour, although she was so calm 
and confident with regard to all her other works. 

299 




CHAPTER FIFTH. 


HER INTERIOR LIFE. 

DURING the whole course of her religious life, the 
good Mother was alternately either Superioress or 
mistress of novices. The gifts of grace necessary 
for these important offices were to be found in 
abundance in her, for she drew largely from the 
charity of the Sacred Heart that cordiality which 
formed the basis of her whole being. “ I have 
always considered Mother Mary de Sales as a saint,” 
says the Abbe Seignier, one of her confessors. 
“ More than once I have been in a position to judge 
that she received supernatural lights from God. 
Her aptitude for the government of the house was 
marvellous, and it was easy to see that God acted 
with her and for her. I never heard but one opin¬ 
ion from all who knew her, namely, that she was a 
saintly soul, adorned with heavenly gifts.” The 
special aim of the good Mother, from the commence¬ 
ment of her religious life, had been to conform her¬ 
self to all the exigences of the Rule, to make them 
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LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


familiar to, and identify them with, herself to such a 
degree that they became, as it were, a second nature 
to her. On first awaking in the morning, she would 
cast her whole soul into God, and immediately en¬ 
tered into communion with the Divine Majesty. 
She had no need to have recourse to any effort of 
thought, for God came in advance of His servant, 
and, showing her the work of the day, inspired her 
at the same time with an ardent desire to devote 
herself to it. The holy Sacrifice of the Mass was 
the most important exercise of her day ; it was dur¬ 
ing this exercise that she held the most intimate 
communion with God, and received from Him the 
highest and greatest lights. It often happened that 
during Mass our Lord revealed to her special cir¬ 
cumstances concerning the Church, the community, 
or the souls of individual persons under her care. 
At the express command of her Superior, the Bishop 
of Fribourg, she communicated daily. Her thanks¬ 
giving was an act of silent contemplation, while with 
her whole being, she adored Him whom she had re¬ 
ceived under the sacramental species. We read in 
the book of Exodus, that Moses, on descending 
from the mountain, bore on his countenance signs 
301 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


of his interview with God; even so the historian of 
the good Mother asserts, that after her thanksgiving 
she appeared wholly transfigured, and her counte¬ 
nance gave testimony of the converse she held with 
her God. 

We cannot do better than cite a few words of 
instruction, given by this fervent Superior to the 
Sisters, for, in them we behold a reflection of her 
own life and interior dispositions. “ People ask,” 
she said, “ what manner of life ours is. The human 
mind sees nothing in it; it is considered too easy, 
too ordinary, to possess any merit, since it consists 
principally in attending choir, going to the refectory, 
or taking part in recreation. This, they say, is very 
little, and leads to nothing great. Yes, truly, it is 
but very little for the proud spirit ; it is nothing for 
the spirit of vanity ; but for those who are enlight¬ 
ened from above, it is a great thing to practise from 
moment to moment all the different virtues which 
present themselves; it is a great thing to lead a 
supernatural life while performing the most ordinary 
actions. In our manner of life, there is nothing of 
the creature, consequently everything is of God. 
If there were more of the creature, our life would be 
302 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


better understood ; but it would be infinitely less in 
the eyes of God . . . Our life is hidden, it is hidden 
even from ourselves; hence, there is no satisfaction 
for nature to be derived from it, but it is known by 
God, and beloved by His Sacred Heart. We arrive 
at this life only by means of a dependence on Him 
from minute to minute, and by a continual renounce¬ 
ment of ourselves. We must separate ourselves 
from our every inclination and affection, and hold 
ourselves above our own views and sentiments. 
Had our holy Founder discovered a more perfect 
manner of life, or one more suited to unite us with 
God, he would have given it to us. He knew well 
what price God sets upon a life passed in continual 
self-renunciation, dependence, and subjection, from 
moment to moment.” Again : “ Charity is the fruit 
of prayer ; the love of God is necessary to enable us 
to love our neighbor in a supernatural manner. . . . 
If we think we make our prayer well and have not 
true sisterly charity, our prayer is nothing but illu¬ 
sion and self-love. . . . Charity is there, where we 
are not ourselves. God is love, and he who dwells 
in charity, dwells in God.” 

Charity was one of the divine perfections which 
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LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


the good Mother most frequently contemplated, and 
God had perhaps destined her to understand better 
than many others the mysteries of Divine Love. 
Naturally good-hearted, she seized with an exquisite 
delicacy all that savored of love or devotedness ; she 
seemed to be all heart towards those with whom she 
had to deal; but, when it concerned God, her whole 
being was in its element, and she would plunge and 
lose herself in the ocean of divine Love. She saw 
God everywhere, and in everything, aspiring after 
and breathing only for Him. Her life may be said 
to have been one continued canticle of love. That 
which sustained the fidelity of Mother Mary de 
Sales, during the whole course of her religious life, 
in which nature had no part, was assuredly her ar¬ 
dent love for God, and at the same time, a constant 
interior feeling that her Lord was preparing a work 
by means of which He would give effect to the treas¬ 
ures of His love in a way and measure which He 
had hitherto not manifested. “ I have in God,” she 
said, “a first view, but this view will be expanded 
by means of those whom He will call to enter on 
this way and communicate it to others. I receive 
the first effects, but they will partake of all the 
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LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


other effects of the charity contained in this way , 
and will apply them to others.” She felt that she 
could not neglect the smallest practice of correspond¬ 
ence to the movements of grace, without failing 
seriously towards God ; since those for whom she 
was preparing the way were to be the means of a 
signal manifestation of the mercy of God over the 
world. “ This is what God makes known to me,” 
she used to say to her confessor, to whom she gave 
a minute account of all that passed between her and 
God; “but the effects are left to you and others ; 
and it is you who will have to spread them abroad.” 
It was thus that in 1849 she clearly foresaw and fore¬ 
told the great work of her life, viz., the establish¬ 
ment of the congregation of priests, Oblates of Saint 
Francis of Sales, which was founded by her in 1869. 

Another of the divine perfections‘which ravished 
her was the fidelity of God. God is faithful, and can 
neither deceive, nor be deceived. She would often 
call to mind attentively all the promises made to her 
by God, and the graces she had received from Him ; 
and her most ardent desire was to repay Him by a 
reciprocal fidelity, from moment to moment, while her 
bitterest regrets were for the smallest fault in which 
II 305 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


the slightest trace of infidelity was perceptible. The 
whole life of this good Mother may be summed up in 
this one title, “ the faithful servant,” or better still, 
“ the faithful friend of her Saviour.” 

When about to speak in chapter or elsewhere, she 
was wont to recollect herself for a moment or so, and 
it was evident that she then cast herself wholly into 
God, and this was her only preparation ; after which, 
she would speak with an admirable facility, for it was 
her Master who then communicated His light and 
His unction to others through her. 

Everyone present felt it, and bore testimony to the 
same effect, and, on leaving these conferences, the 
sisters were, so to speak, enveloped in the light of God. 
The words of their Mother were engraven all the 
more profoundly in their hearts as they were the daily 
witnesses of the many wonders of grace obtained by 
her; for God seemed to grant everything to her 
prayers, both with regard to spiritual and temporal 
graces. “ What an air of holiness had Mother 
Mary de Sales,” writes one; “ what modesty, what 
union with God! Her look penetrated the very 
depths of the soul; one felt the most profound re¬ 
spect in her presence, and none left her without 
306 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


being enlightened, consoled, encouraged, strength¬ 
ened, and filled with a sweet and holy peace.” 

And again : “ In the midst of her numerous occu¬ 
pations she beheld only God, referred all to Him, and 
went to Him with the simplicity and confidence of 
a child, asking with filial love for everything she 
wanted. It was thus that all prospered in her hands, 
and the blessing of God rested visibly on her every 
undertaking. Liberal by nature, the great heart of 
Mother Mary de Sales delighted in giving ; she gave 
to God and to her neighbor with an admirable del¬ 
icacy and generosity ; never counting the cost, and 
wishing, if possible, that her sacrifices should remain 
unknown, not only to others, but even to herself. 
She carried this spirit into the most difficult points 
of her interior life, and, after the example of her 
holy Founder, she refused herself all consideration 
as to its sweetness or bitterness. Her attraction was 
to approve of, and rejoice in all that God sent or per¬ 
mitted. Her spirit of faith and detachment removed 
from her mind all attention to self; she offered up to 
God all her pains and crosses, casting the eyes of her 
soul upon the divine Hand, in order to follow its 
guidance. As for herself, her principal object was to 

307 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


forget and consider herself as nothing; she under¬ 
took this practice of generosity in the commence¬ 
ment of her religious life, and persevered in it to 
the end. 

The increase of faith, hope, and charity became 
daily more and more perceptible in the good Mother, 
and, to speak only of the latter, she was never known 
to do or say the smallest thing contrary to the love of 
God or her neighbor. Her principal devotion con¬ 
sisted in the contemplation of her Saviour, in all the 
mysteries of His Life and Passion. In all she said, 
wrote, or did, she had but one aim, to become one 
with Him ; and this union of the good Mother with 
her divine Spouse was constant and complete. 

A true daughter of the Church, all the practices 
and ceremonies of this good Mother were dear to 
her heart. She had a special devotion to holy water, 
and always took some with her on her different 
journeys. She inspired everyone with confidence in 
its efficacy against illness and accidents, and in times 
of contagious sickness, she had some put into the 
food. Twice too, the Convent was preserved from 
fire by the use of holy water. Another devotion of 
which the good Mother made almost as frequent 
308 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


use, was that of blessed salt. “ Blessed 'salt,” she 
would say, “ strengthens us against the temptations 
of the devil; it gives wisdom to our resolutions; it 
is most efficacious in establishing and maintaining 
peace, and preserves the vigor of body and soul. 
She had some put into all the food which was served 
in the house, and strongly exhorted others to do the 
same. She also recommended the frequent use of 
blessed candles, and always had one lighted during 
storms, or any kind of epidemic. We have already 
seen how great a devotion she had to pilgrimages, 
several of which she re-animated by her zeal and 
encouragement. Devotion to the Holy Souls had 
also a large part in her acts of piety. We can merely 
refer here to her devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, 
and the most holy Virgin ; her zeal in propagating 
devotion to Our Lady among the pupils of the 
monastery; her constant recourse to the “Faithful 
Virgin,” the erection of the confraternity of “ Our 
Lady of Good Counsel ; ” her devotion to Relics, 
Patron Saints, and the Guardian Angels ; her respect 
for, and devotion to the religious state, etc. 

She used to say that the religious life is a contin¬ 
uation of that of our Saviour, whom she venerated 
309 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


in the different characteristics of each Order of the 
Church. Finally, the good Mother had a special at¬ 
traction for childhood ; she loved children, and placed 
great confidence in their prayers. If a father or 
mother came to consult her, she would say : “ Make 
your little children pray ; the Child Jesus can refuse 
them nothing.” 

CHAPTER SIXTH. 

HER EXTERIOR WORKS. 

The study of the lives of the saints furnishes us 
with innumerable proofs of the infinite goodness 
of God towards man, and His constantly renewed 
efforts to win the love of His creatures, through the 
medium of holy souls, to whom in different ages of 
the Church’s history, He has been pleased to mani¬ 
fest Himself in the silence and seclusion of the 
cloister. Take, for instance, a St. Catherine of Sien¬ 
na, a St. Agnes of Monte Pulciano, a St. Magdalen 
of Pazzi, a St. Teresa, with others too numerous 
to mention; so in the Visitation, among many 
others, we find a Blessed Margaret Mary, the apostle 
and confidante of the Sacred Heart; and an Anne 
310 








LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


Magdalen Remuzat, the privileged spouse of Jesus ; 
each of whom had her special mission in the Church 
of God. In like manner, Mother Mary de Sales was 
destined to be a channel of graces, not only to the 
garden of St. Francis of Sales, to pour into the 
souls of his daughters the graces issuing from the 
Sacred Humanity of the Saviour, but she was to dis¬ 
pense the waters of divine Mercy far beyond the 
walls of her convent. Through her means, the love 
of the Redeemer was to be manifested to countless 
souls scattered over the whole world. 

About the year 1836, the Abb£ de Malet, a saintly 
priest of Paris, founded a home for orphan girls, 
where they received a Christian education, and were 
gratuitously provided with food, and all the helps 
and instructions necessary to prepare them for their 
state of life in the world. He placed the house under 
the direction of several devout persons, whom he 
had assembled together under the name of “ Saint 
Mary of Loretto.” 

At that time, the Abb6 de Malet was director of 
Mother Mary de Sales, for whom he felt the highest 
esteem, and in all the difficulties of his newly founded 
congregation, he applied to her for help and counsel, 

3i 1 






LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


so much so, that before long, no plan was undertaken 
or carried out without her having been first con¬ 
sulted, and she soon found herself wholly charged 
with the direction of the little house of Saint Mary 
of Loretto. 

After the death of its Founder, in 1843, M. l’Abb£ 
Beaussier, his spiritual son and successor in the work, 
confided the same, with all its interests, both spiritual 
and temporal, into the hands of the good Mother, 
and, to quote the words of the first Superioress of 
the Congregation, “ it would be difficult to express 
the spiritual union which existed between ourselves 
and her, who for over forty years was our Mother and 
protectress, and who, before her death, completed 
the work that she had so constantly followed and 
protected, by uniting us with the Oblate Sisters of 
Saint Francis of Sales.” 

We next find the good Mother assisting in the 
establishment of the society of Saint Vincent of 
Paul, by means of which boys and youths, abandoned 
by their relatives, are brought up in the practice of 
their religion, taught a variety of trades, and enabled 
to gain an honest livelihood. Before taking the first 
steps in this great work, which has been blessed by 
312 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


such happy results, its Founder consulted Mother 
Mary de Sales, who not only warmly encouraged 
the foundation, but took upon herself the responsi¬ 
bility of the temporal wants and the direction of the 
house. 

In 1844, the good Mother, as we have seen, was 
recalled from the second convent of Paris, where she 
had lived as Superioress since 1838, in order to re¬ 
sume the reins of government at Troyes. About 
this time Monseigneur Debelay, bishop of Troyes, 
conceived the idea of establishing a house for dioc¬ 
esan priests, whose principal duty it would be to 
give missions, and otherwise assist the priests in 
their parish work. He unfolded his plan to Mother 
Mary de Sales, who not only greatly encouraged his 
idea, but helped him by her prayers and a large offer¬ 
ing of money. “ Perhaps,” she said to herself, “ this 
is the work God has shown me.” The work was 
commenced under the most favorable auspices: it 
was blessed by God, and prospered. The good 
Mother may, to a certain extent, be regarded as its 
foundress, for it was she who furnished the money 
for the acquisition of the first house occupied by 
these priests. 


313 





LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPU1S. 

But, although she constantly sustained them by 
her prayers and that material help which is so indis¬ 
pensable in the commencement of a foundation, 
whose only recourse is divine Providence ; neverthe¬ 
less, these were not the priests whom God foresaw 
would spread abroad the work of love destined for 
her by our Lord. 

The ten years which followed 1848 were conse¬ 
crated by the good Mother to the interior life and 
spiritual advancement of her community. It was 
during these years that our Lord prepared her in a 
special and definite manner for those works which she 
was to be instrumental in founding. These were 
accomplished in God, and with God, according to a 
plan so sure, and with such solid foundations, that 
she was heard to exclaim : “ It is finished ; God will 
not change His plan.” “ Dieu n’y reviendra pas.” 

One of the first in which she had a large part was 
the Association of Saint Francis of Sales, whose ob¬ 
ject is the defence and propagation of the faith in 
Christian lands. The idea was first conceived by 
Monseigneur de Segur. Alarmed at the greatness of 
the enterprise, he took counsel of Mother Mary de 
Sales, who urged him to put his plan into execution, 
314 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


assuring him that such was the divine Will. This suf¬ 
ficed for the holy priest, and in 1858, he wrote to the 
good Mother, begging her to use her influence to es¬ 
tablish the society of Saint Francis of Sales in 
Troyes. 

“ This is a great work,” she replied, but she gave 
herself heart and soul to it, foreseeing in the 
immense good which would result therefrom, the 
first-fruits of those graces which God had promised 
to her. By the authorization of the Bishop, Mon¬ 
seigneur Coeur, it was first established at the Visita¬ 
tion, and afterwards canonically recognized in the 
diocese; but the breath of the good Mother was 
necessary to give it life and movement. She was 
considerably helped in this by the pupils of the house, 
who inaugurated an association by means of which 
the work of Monseigneur de Segur was propagated 
in the diocese. A circular letter was addressed every 
month to the former pupils, in which was given an 
exact account of all that was done by the association, 
with the wonders of grace which were produced in 
souls, and the favors obtained by the associates for 
themselves or their families. These accounts, fol¬ 
lowed by the repeated assurance of the good Mother, 
315 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPU1S. 


that God would continue to bless the work, inspired 
all the members with zeal, and tended greatly to en¬ 
courage its establishment in the different parishes. 
It must not be supposed, however, that all the im¬ 
portant undertakings of this great work were inspired 
by the good Mother ; it is, nevertheless, certain that 
its worthy and venerated founder had recourse to 
her in all difficulties or questions of importance. As 
for the good Mother, she received from God the as¬ 
surance that the love of the Saviour was about to be 
still further made manifest to her. 

During the Lent of 1857, her sufferings increased, 
and she affirmed that virtue would issue from the 
cross, by means of which a large number of souls 
would be saved. On the other hand, she was dis¬ 
tressed at beholding the decrease of faith, and the 
rapidity with which ignorance and irreligion were gain- 
ingground among the people. The confessor of the 
community and others would often represent to her 
these spiritual miseries, and ask her prayers for the 
young work-women, who constituted the greater part 
of the population of the town. 

In Advent of the same year, the good Mother 
asked her Lord to make known His Will with regard 
316 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


to the salvation of souls, and to lead those whom He 
had chosen for the purpose to enter upon this way 
of zeal and apostleship. The divine Master did not 
fail to make It known. 

In the following year the Patronage or Home for 
young work-women was founded, and placed under 
the direction of a pious and zealous lady. We should 
go beyond the limits of this short life, if we were to 
enter into all the details of this most useful and in¬ 
teresting work, by means of which hundreds of young 
girls are brought up according to the spirit of Saint 
Francis of Sales in the practice of their faith, and, 
after having served an apprenticeship of some years, 
are not only qualified to fulfil the duties of that 
state of life to which they may be called, but are also 
armed to encounter, with honor, all the dangers and 
difficulties to which so many young people of their 
age and condition fall the victims. 

As is generally the case in the commencement of 
every work destined to further the glory of God and 
the salvation of souls, innumerable difficulties pre¬ 
sented themselves at the outset; but the good 
Mother prayed and placed her confidence in God, 
who soon inspired several pious ladies to devote 
317 





LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


themselves to the work, and before long a second 
Patronage house was opened. The work was now 
solidly established, and continued to prosper. 

We must not think, however, that while the good 
Mother was thus occupied in these exterior works, 
she neglected in any way the care of her community. 
So far from this being the case, her extraordinary 
capacity for work enabled her to take part in every¬ 
thing;' and it may truly be said that she was even 
more than ever watchful and exact in the practice 
and maintenance of the spirit of her Institute. 

She seemed to redouble her ardor for the smallest 
observances; and, if God called her visibly to the 
help of her neighbor, by means of works of which 
she was the source and soul, she was none the less 
attentive to protect her convent from every kind of 
distraction. On the one hand, we see works spring¬ 
ing up, destined to continue and spread abroad the 
graces which God had bestowed upon her; on the 
other, we find the indefatigable laborer continuing 
the work of perfection in the souls of those specially 
confided to her care. But trials, the seal, as we 
have said, of the works of God, began to show them¬ 
selves and form the cement that was to hold together 

3* 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


the foundations of the great edifice of which, under 
God, she was to be the architect. 

As we have already seen, the Patronage for young 
girls was founded and entrusted to the care of pious 
and devoted ladies. But, as is too often the case, in¬ 
dividual zeal soon cools, and at the approach of 
difficulties, discouragement takes its place. It be¬ 
came therefore necessary to put the Patronage under 
the superintendence of a religious community. 
But what congregation would be able to enter into 
the views, and embrace the spirit which the Found¬ 
ress wished to bequeath to it? The Visitation alone 
would be capable of this; but the Visitation is a clois¬ 
tered Order, and consequently, exterior works are 
impossible. Hence the thought suggested itself to 
establish a congregation, which, though differing 
from the Visitation, as regards the exterior rules, 
should nevertheless practise those of the spiritual 
Directory, and approach as near as possible to its 
spirit and regulations. This thought appeared all the 
more practical as Saint Francis of Sales commenced 
his Institute under the form of an uncloistered con¬ 
gregation, with the title of “ Oblates of the Visitation 
of Holy Mary.” This name of Oblates he had en- 
3 J 9 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


graved on the foundation stone of their church at 
Annecy. Such was therefore the first thought of 
Saint Francis of Sales, and it was only through con¬ 
descension to the desires of Monseigneur de Marque- 
mont, Archbishop of Lyons, that he consented to 
establish the rule of enclosure in the convents of the 
Visitation. 

It is well known how largely this sacrifice of the 
holy Founder has been repaid. The enclosure has 
been the means whereby the Visitation has been en¬ 
abled to preserve without difficulty its first spirit and 
traditions, and become, according to the Pere de la 
Riviere, “ a royal pearl in the diadem of the Church.” 
The most ardent wish of the good Mother was that 
the spirit of Saint Francis of Sales should be com¬ 
municated to as many souls as possible, and the 
means for attaining this was evidently by a congre¬ 
gation, the members of which, penetrating into the 
different grades of Society, could spread abroad the 
doctrine of the holy Doctor. It was therefore de¬ 
cided to commence the work. About this time, two 
young ladies obtained permission to make a retreat 
at the Visitation, in order to discover in the silence 
of prayer, the Will of God with regard to an interior 
320 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


attraction which they had felt for some time to con¬ 
secrate themselves to God in religion. The result of 
the retreat was, that they at once took the place of 
those who had hitherto been charged with the direc¬ 
tion of the Patronage; and the good Mother took 
upon herself the responsibility of forming them to 
the religious life. 

A few months had scarcely elapsed since the 
retreat of the two aspirants, when his Eminence Car¬ 
dinal Mermillod, at that time bishop of Geneva, 
came on a visit to Monseigneur Ravinet, Bishop of 
Troyes, in order to beg him to establish in his diocese 
a congregation of ladies, who would live according 
to the spirit of Saint Francis of Sales, and have for 
object the religious instruction of Cathplic youth. He 
added that when a certain number had been formed, 
some might be sent to his diocese ; for “ being the 
successor of the Bishop of Geneva,” he said, “ I 
ought to establish the spirit of that Saint in my 
diocese.” The two Bishops decided to unfold their 
plan to Mother Mary de Sales, in whom Monseigneur 
Ravinet placed the greatest confidence. The good 
Mother said she believed the project to come 
from God, and promised to prepare and instruct any 
21 3 21 






LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


subjects that presented themselves, adding, “ this is 
already done, for there are two young ladies at the 
Patronage who are preparing for what your Lord- 
ship desires, and they can commence at once.” 
Monseigneur Mermillod was delighted at seeing 
his idea thus realized, and proceeded to examine the 
two aspirants, to whom he gave the religious habit. 
He expressed a wish that they should be called 
Oblates of Saint Francis of Sales, assuring them 
that they were his true daughters, since on his death¬ 
bed, the holy prelate had foretold that there would 
one day be an intermediate Order in his religious 
family, which, being placed between the cloister and 
the world, would be charged to dispense to others 
the benefits of the spiritual life, and assist the 
priests by an apostleship of teaching and holy influ¬ 
ence. This was precisely the same thought as the 
good Mother’s. “ The Lord wills,” she said, “ that I 
should be an apostle, and that apostles should be 
formed from what He gives me.” 

The ceremony of the clothing was the first con¬ 
secration of the Congregation of Oblates. It was 
thus founded exteriorly ; all that was now necessary 
was the firm establishment of the spiritual founda- 
322 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


tion. The good Mother therefore gave the sisters 
in charge to the sister Assistant of the Visitation, 
who, being herself a model of observance, was well 
adapted to the formation in them of the interior life 
according to the spirit of her holy Founder. 

By degrees others joined them, and the blessing 
of God rested visibly upon their house. The good 
Mother watched with pleasure the gradual develop¬ 
ment of their work, and supported them by her 
prayers. It was to these that they attributed the 
many graces and blessings which they received from 
God. . . . They were, however, very poor, and, being 
unable to buy wine, they made some themselves from 
the grapes which grew in their garden. This wine 
was put into a barrel, containing from fifty to sixty 
pints. The community was at the time composed 
of about twenty-five members, and every day wine 
for the whole household was drawn from this barrel. 
On being told of the fact, the good Mother said : 
“ Be careful not to speak of it, or it will cease at 
once.” The wine continued to flow thus for over 
eleven months. 

The institution of the Oblates, however, began to 
give rise to certain rumors that the Mother Mary 
323 







LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


de Sales was creating a new kind of Visitation. Ac¬ 
cordingly the Superioress of the first house at 
Annecy despatched a prudent and judicious touri^re, 
or out-sister, who, after seeing and judging for 
herself, would be able to bring her back an exact 
account of the dress and doings of the new Con¬ 
gregation. 

The good Mother was deeply sensible of the 
delicate and truly sisterly manner in which the 
Mother Superior of Annecy had acted ; and she ex¬ 
plained minutely to her envoy the duties and ex¬ 
ercises of the Oblate sisters, who in no way resembled 
exteriorly the Sisters of the Visitation. The good 
sister visited the houses and works of the Oblate 
Sisters, and returned to Annecy, much edified at the 
wonders worked by her holy Founder through the 
medium of his faithful daughter at Troyes. Five 
days later, the good Mother received the most cordial 
letter of congratulation from the convent at Annecy. 
The time, however, was at hand for the accomplish¬ 
ment of that mission, for which during the whole 
course of her religious life her Saviour had been 
preparing His faithful spouse. This great and 
crowning work of her life was the foundation of the 
324 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


Oblate Fathers of Saint Francis of Sales in the 
year 1869. Monseigneur Mermillod, seeing his 
success with regard to the Oblate Sisters, expressed 
a further wish to Monseigneur Ravinet that there 
should also be Priests of Saint Francis of Sales; 
adding, however, that he did not see how this could 
possibly be brought about. Nevertheless, the two 
Bishops communicated the thought to the good 
Mother, and asked her opinion about it. “ I think it 
would be a very good thing,” she replied. “ Will 
you pray,” said the Bishops, “ that it may come to 
pass?” “With all my heart.” This was all she 
said on the subject during that interview. Never¬ 
theless, she felt interiorly that this was the great 
object for which God had been training her, and 
that she was now arriving at the term when the 
divine promises to her would be realized. Every¬ 
thing seemed to contribute to show forth the will of 
the Good Shepherd. Monseigneur Ravinet, de¬ 
sirous to continue in his episcopal town a Catholic 
college which was about to be closed, entrusted 
its re-establishment to the chaplain of the Visita¬ 
tion. 

The college was not long in rising from its threat- 

325 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


ened ruins. The Good Mother,” seeing in this the 
copingstone of her spiritual edifice, used all her 
influence to assist it in its first needs and difficul¬ 
ties. 

It was, however, necessary to find a suitable 
director for the college. One day during Mass, the 
good Mother was inspired to apply to Saint Francis 
of Sales at Annecy for the purpose; at the same 
moment the Confessor, who was saying Mass, was 
inspired with the same thought. After Mass they 
made known to each other what had passed in their 
minds, and it was decided that he should undertake 
a journey to Annecy, and there, at the shrine of the 
holy Founder, consult him not only about a director, 
but also ask for a proof of the divine Will, with re¬ 
gard to the commencement of the congregation of 
priests. 

On arriving at Annecy, his first visit was to the 
Church of the Visitation, which was then under re¬ 
pair. Scarcely had he entered, than Saint Jane de 
Chantal, Foundress of the Order, appeared to him, and 
extending her hands towards the astonished priest, 
expressed her satisfaction at the foundation of Oblate 
Fathers, which she said had been the ardent desire 
326 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


of her life. Falling on his knees, he asked, as a 
proof of her will, that she would find him at Annecy 
the director he was seeking for. This apparition 
filled his soul with inexpressible peace and assurance, 
and before leaving Annecy, the proof he had asked 
of the holy Foundress was granted in a most un¬ 
foreseen manner. Thus it was that the divine Will 
was made manifest ; the good Mother was about to 
attain the end and object of her life, and she felt 
that it was time to commence her work. The first 
novice was a young priest, who, after devoting him¬ 
self unreservedly for some time in the college, asked 
admission into the noviciate. He was soon fol¬ 
lowed by five others. The congregation was there¬ 
fore commenced with six, precisely the same number 
as Saint Bruno had, when he first founded the Order 
of the Chartreux. The good Mother delighted 
in this resemblance. Saint Bruno was one of the 
patrons most venerated by her, and her constant 
and fervent prayer was, that the congregation might, 
like that of the Chartreux, remain always so faith¬ 
ful to its spirit that no reform might ever be deemed 
necessary. 

The new Congregation received its first formal 
327 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


approbation in 1875, and. the final approbation in 
August, 1897. The Oblates of Saint Francis of 
Sales devote themselves to the various functions of 
the priesthood, to missionary work, to the direction 
of Houses of Refuge and to the instruction of 
youth. In the main, their Constitutions are the 
same as those of the Visitation Order, which are 
called by Holy Church “ admirable for their wisdom, 
discretion and sweetness.” 

These excellent priests have successful missions 
in South America and South Africa, where they 
also conduct flourishing schools and colleges. Their 
first work in the United States was done in New 
York diocese, whither they came as chaplains to re¬ 
ligious communities. At the invitation of the Right 
Reverend Bishop Monaghan, the Oblate Fathers 
opened a noviciate and college at Wilmington, 
Delaware, in September, 1903. They are few in 
number and not many postulants have as yet been 
received. “ The harvest indeed is great, but the 
laborers are few. Pray, ye, therefore, the Lord of 
the harvest, that he send forth laborers into His 
harvest.” (Matthew ix., 37, 38.) 


328 



CHAPTER SEVENTH. 


HER LAST ILLNESS AND DEATH (i875). 

In 1874, Mother Mary de Sales was elected for the 
eleventh time Superioress of the Convent of Troyes. 
She felt, however, that her days were numbered, and 
told the Sisters that her death would take place the 
following year. For many years past, the good 
Mother had been a constant sufferer, and during the 
winter her sufferings, both moral and physical, in¬ 
creased and became intense ; but, ever true to her 
maxim of keeping all between herself and God, she 
succeeded in hiding them so completely from those 
around her, that no one realized how near the time 
was when the supreme sacrifice would be required of 
them. 

In measure, however, as her life was ebbing to its 
close, she seemed to exact the more from her little 
remaining strength, and to redouble her fervor and 
maternal solicitude for the good of her community 
and conventual observance. In the month of August, 
329 





LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


1875, she was compelled to take to her bed, and 
then began that long illness during which all who 
approached her beheld a representation of their 
Crucified Saviour, and learned how the saints 
suffer. She always retained her strength of mind 
and evenness of spirit, in the midst of such excruci¬ 
ating sufferings that she may truly be said to have 
been nailed to the cross with her Lord and Saviour, 
and, like Him, wholly conformed to the divine Will. 

“ Thus it was,” to quote the words of her Sisters 
in Religion, “ that the virtue and holiness of this 
humble servant of God shone forth in all their splen¬ 
dor to the great edification of all. It would be 
impossible to enumerate the graces and lessons of 
virtue which we received at the death-bed of our 
Mother; her entire self-forgetfulness, her ardent de¬ 
sire to suffer for souls, her admirable submission to 
the good pleasure of God, all served as a continual 
sermon to us. None approached her but with feel¬ 
ings of profound respect, as every one saw the Pas¬ 
sion of her Lord, so to say, renewed and continued 
in her. At times she was so completely lost and ab¬ 
sorbed in interior contemplation that she appeared, 
as it were, wholly transformed. She was habitually 
330 








LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


calm and recollected in God, and never preoccupied 
with her own sufferings.” 

“ On the Feast of the Assumption,” continued the 
Sisters, “ our Mother received the Apostolic Blessing 
of the Holy Father Pius the Ninth, accompanied 
with words of paternal encouragement and the prom¬ 
ise of his prayers. She was deeply sensible of this 
favor, and the more so, as she had never thought of 
asking it.” On the twenty-first of August, feast of 
Saint Jane de Chantal, she appeared so much worse 
that it was deemed advisable to administer the Last 
Sacraments. Turning to her confessor, she said : 
“ Perhaps it is the moment to make a general confes¬ 
sion, but I have no light on the subject. I have ever 
sought to do only that which I believed to be most 
agreeable to God.” The good priest was deeply 
touched by these words, which he afterwards as¬ 
serted were an exact summary of her whole life. 
After receiving the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, 
she said to the sorrowing community: “ I have 
ever desired but one thing, namely, to know our 
Saviour ; I have always confided in Him. ... I go 
now to Him filled with this confidence. ... I never 
wished to act of myself, and I think I can say with 
33i 






LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


truth that I have never done so, but have always 
let our Saviour act in me, never doing anything but 
by His movement. Ah ! if one only understood the 
price of the redemption of a soul! ” 

She testified the most tender interest in her be¬ 
loved foundation of the Oblates ; it was a great con¬ 
solation and happiness for her to know that the 
priests and novices of the congregation increased in 
fervor, and became ever more and more conformed to 
the spirit and doctrine of Saint Francis of Sales ; and 
she expressed the utmost gratitude to all those who 
had in any way contributed towards their establish¬ 
ment. 

“ I can die now,” she said, “ since they are founded 
. . . . I should much have liked to behold the re¬ 
sults of their work, but I prefer the divine Will.” 
Then, turning to the Father Superior, who was pres¬ 
ent, she said: “You will have to bear the burden 
alone now, but I will not abandon you ; I will help 
and pray for you. . . Whatever may happen, even 
if all seems to be lost, be not discouraged, but be 
sure that it is the Will of God that the Oblates 
should be established. He will employ them to per¬ 
form great things in the world ; it will be as though 
332 





LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


our Saviour were living upon the earth : His action 
will be seen in them.” 

On the sixth of October, feast of Saint Bruno, to 
whom the good Mother had so special a devotion, 
the last symptoms of death became manifest; she 
passed this, her last day upon earth, in profound peace 
in the midst of the most intense sufferings. Several 
times she expressed her gratitude to those who had 
attended her during her illness. Towards evening, 
the prayers for the dying were recited ; she fol¬ 
lowed them all, and her countenance assumed an ex¬ 
pression of bliss and dignity which it preserved up 
to the moment when her coffin was closed. A little 
after midnight, she uttered three loud cries, and 
then breathed forth her pure and loving soul into 
the hands of her Creator, in the eighty-third 
year of her age, sixty of which had been passed in 
Religion. 

The news of her death was received in the city as 
the announcement of a public calamity. The people 
flocked in crowds to the Church of the Visitation, in 
order to gaze once more on the face of her whom 
they loved and revered as a saint. Her mortal re¬ 
mains were exposed close to the grille of the Sisters’ 
333 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


choir. There, during two days, four sisters were con¬ 
stantly employed in touching these precious remains 
with crosses, medals, linen for the sick, and other 
objects, which the piety of the faithful presented 
for that purpose. 

The good Mother was interred in the convent 
cemetery, where she reposes in the midst of her 
daughters, and continues, in the silence of death, the 
instructions of her lifetime. The tombstone is sur¬ 
mounted by a simple iron cross, on which is the 
following inscription:—“Here lies our venerated 
Mother Mary de Sales Chappuis, who died in the 
odor of sanctity on the seventh of October, 1875, 
aged eighty-two years and three months.” 


CHAPTER EIGHTH. 

OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE TOMB OF THE VENER¬ 
ABLE MOTHER. 

On the twelfth of January, 1901, Monsignor Mar- 
zolini, Postulator of the Cause of the Venerable 
Mother, and Monseigneur Pelacot, Bishop of Troyes, 
addressed to the Sovereign Pontiff, a petition to 
334 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPYUIS. 


obtain the favor of opening the tomb and removing 
the mortal remains of the servant of God to a vault 
prepared under a chapel, dedicated to Jesus the 
Redeemer. 

A favorable decree having been given, the seven¬ 
teenth of May was the “day that the Lord had 
made ” for the solemn ceremony. His Lordship, 
the Bishop of Troyes, with the members of the 
Apostolic Commission, Monsignor Marzolini, chap¬ 
lain of His Holiness Leo the Thirteenth, Monsignor 
Chabrier and advocate Martini of Rome; three of¬ 
ficial witnesses: the Admiral de Cuverville, in full- 
dress uniform, the Count de Cissey, father of the 
Superioress of the Monastery, and Mr. Ferdinand 
Frederici, officer of the Pontifical Army ; two physi¬ 
cians, Doctor Viardin of Troyes and Dr. Tuilant of 
Bar-sur-Aube ; two Justices of the Peace, the neces¬ 
sary workmen, the Countess Goluchowska, n£e 
Princess Murat, wife of the Prime Minister of the 
Emperor of Austria; the Baroness de Gargan, and 
Madame B6rard of Lyons, entered the enclosure of 
the Monastery about eight o’clock in the morning, 
and proceeded at once to the nuns’ choir. After the 
recitation of the Veni Sancte Spiritus , a procession 
335 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DF SALES CHAPPUIS. 


was formed to the narrow vault at the entrance of 
the cemetery, where the Venerable Mother lay at 
the feet of a statue of our Blessed Lady, holding the 
Child Jesus. There, Monseigneur Pelacot, Bishop 
of Troyes, standing with his hand on his breast, ad¬ 
ministered, first to the physicians, then to the work¬ 
men, the oath to fulfil loyally, conscientiously, and 
truthfully, the mission entrusted to them. After 
that, the Apostolic Commissaries verified the per¬ 
fect integrity of the official seals, which were then 
broken ; the tomb-stone and three flag-stones were 
raised, bringing to view the leaden coffin, which, by 
means of pulleys, was drawn up from the grave. 
Monseigneur Pelacot read aloud the inscription : 

OUR MOTHER 

MARIE DE SALES CHAPPUIS 

PROFESSED OF OUR MONASTERY OF FRIBOURG, 
DIED IN THE ODOR OF SANCTITY IN THIS MONAS¬ 
TERY OF THE VISITATION OF HOLY MARY, OF TROYES, 
THE 7TH OF OCTOBER, 1875, 

AGED EIGHTY-TWO YEARS. 

The dampness and dust having been removed, the 
coffin was placed on a litter, draped with a magnifi- 

336 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


cent gold-embroidered white satin cover, the work 
and gift of the Oblate Sisters, who owe their institu¬ 
tion to the Venerable Mother. Four Visitandines 
held the tassels of the cover, and the Oblate Fathers 
were privileged to carry the remains of their Mother. 
His Lordship of Troyes reiterated the prohibition 
against carrying away, or adding any thing to the 
coffin, under pain of excommunication, then the 
procession formed again, and soon reached the Com¬ 
munity room of the religious, which had been deco¬ 
rated for the occasion with white hangings and 
golden fleurs-de-lys, with the escutcheons of the 
friends and protectors of the Cause. The coffin 
being placed on a large table, the crowd retired, leav¬ 
ing only the privileged few. The leaden coffin was 
found intact, except in one place, where the solder 
had given way, but the oaken coffin was, in several 
places, affected by dampness. The screws of the lid 

were loosened and the lid raised.then came 

a moment of anxious and painful emotion. 

a layer of moss and dense white mould entirely 
covered the body. This was not astonishing as, on 
the day of the interment of the “good Mother,” a 
heavy rain fell into the open coffin, which, according 

22 337 







LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


to the custom of the Visitation, is not closed until 
the grave is reached. Then, all whose presence was 
not essential, were required to leave the room. The 
covering having been taken off and carefully put 
away in large vessels, the body appeared intact and 
in a state of perfect preservation, though much dark¬ 
ened by time. The ball of the eye no longer 
existed, but the lids, with their lashes and the eye¬ 
brows above, gave the appearance of sleep. The 
finger-nails were clearly discernible ; the arms some¬ 
what stiff, but the flesh on the lower limbs, soft and 
supple, the color, according to the physicians, being 
that of “ old ivory.” Even the traces of the wounds, 
with which the good Mother was covered at the 
time of her death, were quite visible. To use again 
an expression of the doctors, there was observable no 
smell of death, but only the strong odor of mouldy 
wood, which escaped from the coffin and clothing. 
The Sisters and all present were satisfied with bless¬ 
ing God, feeling that it did not belong to them but 
to holy Church, to pronounce upon the wonderful 
preservation of these precious remains. The Sisters 
of the Second Monastery of the Visitation in Paris, 
having prepared new garments, the Venerable 
338 





LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


Mother was clothed with them, and a crown of white 
roses was placed upon her head. It is even said that 
the habit and cincture, made of the ordinary size, had 
to be enlarged, the “ good Mother ” having lost 
nothing in the tomb . 

The physicians made their report, and about one 
o’clock, all the dignitaries and officials withdrew, 
after having placed seals on the assembly-room. At 
half-past two, they returned, removed the seals, and 
drew up the proces-verbal. At seven o’clock, the 
religious of the Visitation had the last consolation of 
placing the body in a new oaken coffin, lined with 
satin. At her feet was placed a sealed glass tube, en¬ 
closing the proces-verbal in Latin. The oaken coffin 
having been put into the old leaden one, it was 
lowered into a vault, under a little oratory, dedicated 
to Jesus the Redeemer. There, awaiting the final 
decision of the Church, the Venerable Mother re¬ 
poses under the eyes of her holy Founders, whose 
statues, placed on either side of the door, seem to 
be guarding her precious remains until the much de¬ 
sired day of her Beatification. 


339 






SELECTIONS FROM THE “ PENS^ES ” OF 
THE VENERABLE MOTHER. 

The Making of a Saint. 

In order to render due glory to God and gratitude 
to our Saviour, we must leave it to Him to do in us 
what He wills, what He pleases, as our Master, our 
King. This is what the Saints did. 

The Saints are Saints, because they allowed the 
Saviour to reign absolutely in them. 

Prayer and the Heart of Jesus. 

Our divine Lord bids me say that the imagination 
of man cannot conceive what prayer can do with 
regard to the Heart of God. When it reaches that 
Heart, it changes wrath into loving kindness. When 
any object is pleasing to God, it disarms His just 
anger. 

We can never believe how easily the Heart of God 
is touched, if only we use the right means. Prayer 
340 





LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


has more power over His Heart than sin ; for prayer 
has something in it that is divine, sin is only of the 
earth, though it dares to outrage the divine. 

The Desire of the Creator. 

The desire of the Creator was that man should 
live in happiness, without care or anxiety, God doing 
all, ordering all. 

His life was to be indeed a perfectly happy one; 
continually thanking God, easily holding communion 
with God, always looking to God, the good God 
Himself his sole happiness. 

Although surrounded by the benefits of God, man 
remained closely united to his Creator, sharing his 
heart with none other, because that heart was right 
and true. False joys and affections could not enter 
there, because the Spirit of the Lord enlightened and 
directed it. 

God loved to hold communion with man, because 
He had created him after His own likeness. This 
communion was the very end of his creation. 

When sin entered into the world, all was changed ; 
but still the need for this communion lies deep in 
the Heart of God and in the heart of man. 

341 





LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


The Sign of the Cross and the Holy Name 
of Jesus. 

I have been thinking that I shall often make the 
Sign of the Cross and pronounce the holy Name ok 
Jesus, in order to purify my heart from the stain of 
its daily faults and to keep up that habit of constant 
communion with our Lord, that He desires. 

Virtue will be given with the Sign of the Cross 
and with the holy Name of Jesus. 

The Joy of leaving God to Act. 

Whatever may happen to me, I should like to be 
able to say : “ Oh, Lord, I feel nothing but joy in 
all that Thou dost ; I could not take pleasure in 
any other thing; I know that I love nothing but 
what is done by Thee.” 

The Illusions of the Heart Remedied. 

The heart is often a prey to strange illusions ; in¬ 
stead of seeking God, it seeks itself and dwells fondly 
upon its own doings, its own condition; it exhausts 
itself in perplexed reasonings, in endless reflections, 
in useless retrospects. 


342 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


The soul who has risen above herself is set free from 
these trammels ; less knowledge of her own weak¬ 
ness makes her not the least astonished to find bad 
things in herself; when she sees such, she turns 
away from them to God. 

But, on the contrary, when we are ignorant, we 
are surprised to find the evil that is in us, because 
we do not know ourselves ; we are fretted and dis¬ 
turbed at the discovery of the blemishes, we weaken 
ourselves by brooding over the past, we will not 
accept the humiliation of our own misery, and be¬ 
cause we refuse that true humiliation, which is pleas¬ 
ing in the sight of God and brings with it strength 
and healing, a far worse humiliation, one which de¬ 
grades us before Him, becomes our portion ; because 
we would not love to be nothing, we are in the end 
truly nothing , less than nothing. 

Determination. 

We must fulfil our duty with determination. 

The Reign of Jesus through Mary. 

What does our Lord desire but to draw all hearts 
to the love of His Eternal Father? What does the 
343 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


Blessed Virgin desire but to draw the love of those 
same hearts to her divine Son, so that He may reign 
over the affections of all men? She longs for the 
triumph of the Cross of Jesus, on which He offered 
Himself in sacrifice for the Redemption of the 
world. 

The Divine Will. 

It is the divine Will, which brings all good to 
man on earth, as well as to the Blessed in Heaven. 
Heaven is in the Will of God and His Will is para¬ 
dise on earth. 

The happiness of man is in doing the Will of God. 
He who does the Will of God is absolutely happy. 
He needs nothing more. He rests in that Will, be¬ 
cause in it is all good. 

Self-Renunciation and Miracles. 

The full value of renunciation in the sight of God 
will be known in Eternity only ; one act of self- 
renunciation is worth more in His sight than many 
miracles. 

It is renunciation of self which brings union with 
God. 


344 





Life of mother Mary de sales chappuis. 


The Shortest Way—the Secret of Per¬ 
fection. 

We must go to our Lord by love : it is the shortest 
way. The secret of perfection is to cling lovingly to 
His most holy Will. 

Love of God. 

Frequent acts of love constantly repeated will 
warm our hearts and make them glow with the love 
of God. One act of love made many times over, 
will strengthen the soul, even if made without much 
devotional feeling. 

If God is Satisfied. 

It matters little if we are satisfied in this world or 
not, if only God is satisfied with us. 

Recourse to God. 

The Creator loves to see His creatures dependent 
upon Him for every thing. They are in the right 
way only when their recourse to Him is habitual. 

I see by the light which is given to me that the 
love of the Creator is extended to the smallest things. 

345 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


Nothing in Him is great or small, it is the love of 
God only that makes things great or small. 

Providence. 

Providence loves to shower benefits upon a crea¬ 
ture, who has placed Himself and all that He pos¬ 
sesses under this divine shelter, seeking no other 
help, no other support. 

Providence Love to succor those who are deprived 
of all human aid, those who have discovered their own 
insufficiency. To such souls, Providence will always 
be satisfying, because they will always be in the 
truth. 

The Divine Pleasure. 

When God finds a soul ready to do His Will, ] 
anxious to follow wherever He may lead, He takes I 
pleasure in that soul, and gives her all she asks of ' 
Him. 

Humility and Confidence in God. 

We must say to God : “ I am too insignificant, I 
can see nothing, do nothing of myself, but I have en¬ 
tire confidence in Thee.” 

346 






LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


Imitation of Mary. 

The Blessed Virgin submitted herself in all things 
to God; she applied herself to fulfil the duties of 
her state. She served God, she observed silence, 
but she kept in her heart the lessons she had been 
taught and meditated on them. Our life should be 
like hers. It ought to be spent in submission, in 
dependence, in silence and in the Presence of God. 

Saint Joseph. 

Our holy Founder says Saint Joseph was Just, 
because he adjusted his will to the Will of God. 
He obeyed God’s Will in everything ; and if, in the 
circumstances of his life, his way of looking at things, 
his ideas, his wishes, ever differed from those of our 
Lord, he instantly readjusted them. Let us imitate 
this glorious Saint in adjusting our wills, inclinations, 
and desires, to the divine Will. 

What is Best for Me. 

Our Lord has made it clear to me that whatever 
event may befall me, it will be what is best for me. 
347 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


Letting God Decide Every thing. 

God does all things well. This consideration 
makes me love to leave everything to my Saviour. 
I do not wish to have the least choice in anything, 
whatever it may be. If we wish to have a choice, 
it shows we do not know God, for knowledge of God 
makes us wish to leave every decision to Him. 

The Divine Pleasure. 

I am content, O Lord, to wait ; my happiness is to 
submit to Thy good pleasure. I am just as pleased 
to be deprived of what I want as to have it; all I 
desire is to wait Thy good pleasure. The possession 
of what I desire ceases to be desirable to me, if it be 
not ordained by Thy Will. 

How to Please the Heart of Jesus. 

What unspeakable benefits! What a fount of 
mercy ! To prepare ourselves to receive the gifts of 
a bounteous Creator, is the action which brings the 
deepest joy to the loving Heart of Him who thinks, 
desires and does all that He does, only in order to 
give unbounded scope to His limitless generosity. 

343 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


Yet how often do we not see Him restrained in 
this loving purpose! He would give, He could 
give, and we, ungrateful and unworthy, as we are, 
hinder Him and, as it were, compel Him to with¬ 
hold what was intended for us. 

I am Sure of God. 

Let us leave ourselves absolutely in the Hands of 
God. Let us say with all our heart: “ I am sure 
of God!' 

As regards myself, I am indeed sure of Him. 
This I can truly declare. I desire that this assur¬ 
ance should reach His Sacred Heart and say plainly 
and simply, I rely on Thee , without knowing how , 
only I know that I rely on Thee. 

Confidence. 

Lift your eyes to the Saviour and say to Him : 
“ I trust in Thee.” 

I have a Saviour. 

No matter what happens, let us say : “ I have a 
Saviour.” 


349 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


Beloved of God. 

The little ones, and all who are little in their own 
estimation, are always beloved by God. 

The Will of God. 

In the Will of God, we find all that can perfectly 
satisfy us ; perfect content, repose and tranquillity. 
The Will of God contains all good in itself. I do 
not see what is for my own best good, but the Will 
of God sees it,—that Will which is love, and which 
sees what is for my good and thinks of it, and directs 
it to success without any co-operation on my part. 

It will matter little to us at the hour of death if 
we have done our own will, but it will matter more 
than anything else if we have done the Will of God. 

The Sign of the Cross. 

Often make the Sign of the Cross. By doing so, 
we get rid of self, and give ourselves to God. At 
the “ Name of the Father,” we give ourselves to the 
Father ; “ of the Son,” we give ourselves to the Son ; 
and “ of the Holy Ghost,” we give ourselves to the 
Holy Ghost. 


350 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


The Interior Soul. 

The interior soul does not dwell on any thing that 
may vex or disturb her ; she rises above all, and says 
to all things : “ Pass on ! pass on ! ” All that she 
has thus allowed to pass by her on earth and in time, 
she will find again in Eternity, and it will be to her 
a mountain of merits and of glory in the love of our 
divine Saviour. 

As Jesus Likes Best. 

When I desire some little thing in the course of 
the day, I show it to our Lord and leave it to Him 
to will and to do as He likes best. 

The thought that He knows best then comes to 
my mind, and at once I leave Him to choose forme, 
being sure of Him. 

The Infinite Mercy of God. 

I feel within me a desire to lose no opportunity of 
asking God to manifest His goodness, for that would 
be depriving Him of what He loves best. Being 
what He is, He can do nothing but what is good ; it 
is God’s nature to do good. He wishes to do us 
351 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


good for His own sake. The good He wishes to do 
us in Himself shows His infinite mercy. 

We can never comprehend what the goodness of 
God really is, His attributes are beyond our under¬ 
standing and we make great mistakes about them ; 
therefore, we must simply say “ yes ” to all He asks 
of us and leave His unsearchable goodness to act as 
it will. 


Hovering Around the Saviour. 

To hover around any one is to try to see what he 
thinks, what he says, what he does, what he asks, 
what he desires, what he loves; it is an occupation 
wholly and most closely connected with his person. 
Well! such ought to be our occupation with regard 
to our divine Lord, keeping near Him, observing 
closely what He has loved, what He has done, what 
He would do, if He were here. 

Humility and Obedience. 

The soul’s chief care should be to humble herself 
and to obey ; that being done, we may pass from 
this life to the next without any fear. 

352 









LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


Being Nothing. 

Now, at this present moment, I acknowledge my 
happiness in being nothing; in spite of the fears 
which my responsibility would bring with it, thanks 
to my nothingness I am entirely secure. 

Nothing brings nothing; nothing is asked of 
nothing; nothing passes everywhere, has nothing to 
lose, nothing to gain ; none are jealous of it ; none 
are envious of it; it is happy, free, well-ordered. It 
will never be told to go down lower, or to give its 
place to another. It has found the great secret of 
peace and rest. 

Confidence in God. 

I would that I could make every one have confi¬ 
dence in God; I would that I could instil this truth 
into every heart. There is no rest to be found in 
anything but this ; outside this all is chaos and con¬ 
fusion. 

All is wanting to man, if he has not that; with 
that, he has all. With confidence, the soul proclaims 
itself happy ; it knows not how to account for this 
happiness, but it knows how to profit by it, and to 

23 353 





LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


strengthen itself by the knowledge of God. In order 
to please our Lord, we must have in Him a confi¬ 
dence equal to the goodness and kindness, which we 
see in Him. He has, so to speak, done the impossi¬ 
ble, we must hope to do the same. 

The creature cannot rest unless it has confidence 
in God. 

Last Words. 

I have always trusted in the Saviour; I have 
nothing else to carry to Him ; I go to Him with 
confidence. 


fc- 


354 






Decretum Basileen Seu Trecen Beatifica- 
tionis et Canonizationis Ven. Serves 
Dei Marias Francisco Salesle Chappuis, 
Antistitae Monasterii Visitationis In 
Civitate Trecensi. 

Quo acrius inimici christiani nominis fremunt ac 
insaniunt adversus eos qui evangelica consilia pro- 
fitentur, eo suavius Deus amorem et spiritum Christi 
in Ecclesiae sinu excitat ac fovet; adeo ut haec ad- 
mirabilis mater divinam ac perennem fcecunditatem 
sanctitatemque suam confirmet. Inter praestantiores 
moniales Ordinis Visitationis B. M. V. recensenda 
est soror Maria Francisca Salesia Chappuis cuius 
vita, ceu Dei benedictionibus praeventa et sanctitate 
decorata, publico testimonio cohonestatur. Haec Dei 
ancilla die 16 iunii, 1793, in oppido vulgo Soyhieres 
Basileensis dicecesis, in lucem edita et baptizata im- 
imposito nomine Maria Teresia, a piis parentibus et 
ub avunculo, ipsius oppidi parocho, pietatis et reli- r 
gionis principia hausit. Octennis ad sacram synax- 
im admissa, anno aetatis duodecimo Friburgi 
Monialibus Visitationis excolenda tradita est. Post 


I 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


quatuor annos expolitior effecta ac domum reducta, 
frequenter et studiose sermones de rebus sacris 
audiebat a presbyteriis ibi degentibus, qui studia 
ecclesiastica Romae in Collegio Germanico Hunga- 
rico rite peregerant. Quum ad annum aetatis suae 
undevicesimum pervenisset Maria Teresia semel at- 
que iterum monasterium Friburgensi ingressa est, 
atque ubi olim alumna dein soror reddita, opitulante 
Deipara Virgine, suscepto nomine Francisca Salesia, 
sui sancti Institutores spiritum ac regulam observare 
sategit, et Necepiscopo Friburgensi Tobia Yenny 
sacris operante anno 1816 religiosa vota nuncupavit. 
In eodem monasterio novitiarum magistra electa 
fuit, et quae ab eius ore sive praecepta sive monita 
regularis disciplinae acceperant discipulae, ea secreto 
conscripserunt sanctae custodiendo ac fideliter dis- 
pensando. Pluribus monasteriis visitationis, prae- 
sertim Trecensi, Parisiensi, Metensi aliisque succes¬ 
sive, ipsis rogantibus sororibus, praefuit. Trecensi 
monasterio anno 1844, restituta, ibi usque ad vitae 
exitum, quasi lucerna lucens et ardens in domo Dei 
refulsit. Ampliata religiosa domo, ephebeum quod 
confluentes ex omni Gallia puellas nobilitate, mori- 
bus ac ingenio illustres excipiebat, reformavit atque 

356 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SA LES CHAPPUIS. 

auxit, ct extra monasterii septa puellis egenis irn 
stituendis scholam aperuit. Ad ancillam Dei com 
veniebant viri ac mulieres in asperis atque arduis 
consilia, opem, solatium exquirentes. Plures a Galli- 
canismi temeritate, a Magnetismi superstitione, a 
Iansenismi reliquiis retraxit. Sacras disciplinas quas 
ipsa a puris fontibus delibaverat, cum sui animi gau- 
dio bene fundatas vidit inTrecensi maiori Seminario, 
una cum instaurata alumnorum frequentiaad sacram 
synaxim et sanctae Ecclesiae Romanae liturgia. Piis 
ac religiosis utriusque sexus consociationibus etiam 
adlaboravit, praesertim Oblatorum a S. Francisco 
Salesio quorum institutionem iampridem praenunti- 
averat a se perficiendam antequam e vita migrasset. 
Quibus omnibus confectis, ancilla Dei tempus reso- 
lutionis suae instare percensit ; et reapse labente anno 
1875, aetatis suae octogesimo tertio, lethali morbo cor- 
repta et extremis Ecclesiae Sacramentis communita, 
adstantibus et collacrymantibus sororibus, ineunte 
die 7 octobris piisime obiit. Fama sanctitatis quam 
in vita soror Maria Francisca Salesia acquisierat, post 
obitum ita longe lateque diffusa est ut super ea Pro- 
cessualibus tabulis a Rmis Ordinariis Friburgensi, 
Basileensi, Trecensi et Parisiensi rite adornatis et 
357 






LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


Sacrae Rituum Congregationi exhibitis legitimeque 
apertis, enixe postulatus fuerit ad ulteriora processus. 

Itaque ad enixas iteratasque preces Rmi Dni 
Nazareni Marzolini huiusce Causae Postulatoris etiam 
nomine Sanctimonialium Ordinis Visitationis por- 
rectas, attentis praesertim litteris postulatoriis plu- 
rium Emorum et Rmorum S. R. E. Cardinalium ac 
multorum Rmorum Sacrorum Antistitum nec non 
virorum sive ecclesiastica sive civili dignitate illus- 
trium, praevia Apostolica Dispensatione ab inter- 
ventu et voto consultorum super Dubio introduc- 
tionis Causae in Congregatione Ordinario propo- 
nendo. Emus et Rmus Dnus Lucidus-Maria Parocchi, 
Episcopus Portuensis et S. Rufinae, eiusdem Causae 
Relator, in Ordinario S. R. C. Conventu subsignata 
die ad Vaticanum habito, sequens dubium discutien- 
dum proposuit nimirum : “An sit signanda Com- 
missio Introductionis Causes in casu et ad effectum de 
quo agitur ?" et sacra eadem Congregatio, post rela- 
tionem ipsius Emi Ponentis, omnibus mature per- 
pensis et audito R. P. D. Ioanne Baptista Lugari 
Sanctae Fidei Promotore, rescribendum censuit : 
“ A ffirmative seu signandam esse Commissionem, si 
Sanctissimo placueritC —Die 27 iulii, 1897. 

358 







LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


Quibus omnibus Sanctissimo Domino Nostro 
Leoni Papae XIII. per infrascriptum Cardinalem 
Sacrae Rituum Congregationi Praefectum relatis, 
Sanctitas Sua Rescriptum Sacrae ipsius Congrega- 
tionis ratum habens, propria manu signare dignata 
est Commissionem Introductionis Causae Venerabilis 
Servae Dei Mariae Franciscae Salesiae Chappuis, 
iisdem die, mense et anno. 

Camillus, card. Mazella, 

S. R. C. Prcefectus . 
Diomedes Panici, 

5 . R. C. Secretarius. 


TRANSLATION OF THE DECREE. 

Diocese of Troyes and Bale. Cause of Beati¬ 
fication and Canonization of the Vener¬ 
able Servant of God, Marie Fran^oise 
de Sales Chappuis, Superioress of the 
Monastery of the Visitation, of the City 
of Troyes. 

The more agitated are the enemies of the Church, 
the more they let themselves loose with rage against 
359 



LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


those who profess the evangelical counsels, the more 
God raises up and develops in all sweetness the love 
and spirit of Christ, in the bosom of the Church. 
Thus it is that this admirable Mother affirms her 
sanctity, her divine and perpetual fecundity. 

Among the most remarkable religious of the Order 
of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, must 
be reckoned Sister Mary Francis de Sales Chappuis, 
whose life, prevented with divine benedictions and 
illustrated by her sanctity, is glorified by the testi¬ 
mony of the people. 

This servant of God was born on June sixteenth, 
1793, in the village of Soyhieres, in the diocese of 
Bale. She was given in baptism the name of Mary 
Teresa, and received from her pious parents and her 
uncle, cure of the village, the first principles of piety 
and religion. 

At the age of eight, she was admitted to Holy 
Communion and, at the age of twelve, she was en¬ 
trusted, in order to be educated, to the religious of 
the Visitation of Fribourg. After four years, having 
completed her education, she returned home. There 
she listened often, and with ardor, to conversations 
upon sacred subjects, held by the priests of the coun- 
360 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


try who had pursued the full course of ecclesiastical 
studies at the Germanic college in Rome. 

Attaining the age of twenty-one, Mary Teresa en¬ 
tered a first, then a second time, the Monastery of 
Fribourg. And in this Monastery, in which she had 
formerly been educated, and to which she returned 
to become a religious, with the help of the Virgin 
Mother of God, after having received the name of 
Mary Francis de Sales, she strove to observe the 
spirit and the rule of its holy Founder. In 1816, she 
pronounced the Vows of Religion, in the hands of 
Monseigneur Yenni, the new Bishop of Fribourg, 
who presided at the ceremony. She was chosen in 
the same Monastery the Mistress of the Novices. 
Her novices, unknown to her, consigned to writing 
the precepts or counsels, regarding regular discipline, 
that they received from her lips, kept them holily 
and communicated them faithfully. 

She governed several Monasteries of the Visita¬ 
tion, and especially those of Troyes, Paris, Metz, and 
others successively at the request of the Sisters. 

Returning to the Monastery of Troyes, in 1844, 
it was there that, to the end of her life, she shone as 
a bright and burning lamp, in the house of the Lord. 
361; 







LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


After having enlarged the Monastery, she re¬ 
formed and increased the boarding-school, which re¬ 
ceived young ladies distinguished for their birth, 
qualifications and intelligence, who came from differ¬ 
ent parts of France. Besides, she opened, outside 
the enclosure of the monastery, a school for the edu¬ 
cation of poor young girls. Men and women had 
recourse to the servant of God to ask of her, in diffi¬ 
cult and painful affairs, advice, aid and consolation. 
She diverted several persons from the rashness of 
Gallicanism, from the superstitions of magnetism and 
the dregs of Jansenism. 

The holy teachings, which she had drawn from 
pure sources she was happy to see well established 
at the Grand Seminary of Troyes, as well as frequent 
Communion among the pupils and the liturgy of the 
Holy Roman Church. 

She also gave her help to several pious and relig¬ 
ious associations of men, as well as of women and, 
most especially, the Oblatesof Saint Francis of Sales. 
She had announced that their foundation would be 
completed by her before her death. 

After having accomplished all these things, the 
servant of God had the very clear consciousness that 
362 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


her death was near, and in fact, at the end of 1875, 
at the age of eighty-three, she was attacked by a 
mortal illness. Fortified by the last Sacraments of 
the Church, surrounded by her Sisters in tears, she 
died most piously on the seventh of Qctober, at 
one o’clock in the morning. 

The renown for sanctity that Sister Mary Francis 
de Sales had acquired during her life, was spread in all 
quarters, after her death, so that the processes hav¬ 
ing been canonically instituted by the Right Rever¬ 
end Ordinaries of Fribourg, Bale, Troyes and Paris, 
then presented to the Sacred Congregation of Rites 
and opened according to the rules, it was earnestly 
asked that the ulterior formalities should be pro¬ 
ceeded with. 

For this reason, on the eager and repeated petitions 
of the most Reverend Lord Nazareno Marzolini, pos- 
tulator of this cause, petitions presented also in the 
name of the Religious of the Order of the Visitation, 
in consideration particularly of the postulatory 
letters of several most Eminent and most Reverend 
Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, of numerous 
Right Reverend Bishops, and of persons, ecclesiastic 
as well as civil, illustrious by their rank; after an 
3 fi 3 




LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


apostolic dispensation from the intervention and 
the vote of the Consulters of the Doubt to be 
proposed in the ordinary congregation, relative to 
the introduction of the Cause, the most Eminent and 
most Reverend Lord Lucidus Maria Parocchi, 
Bishop of Porto and Saint Rufina, Deponent of the 
same cause, in the ordinary Congress of the Sacred 
Congregation of Rites, held in the Vatican, the day 
hereafter mentioned, proposed the discussion of the 
following Doubt: “ Is there reason to sign the com¬ 

mission for the introduction of the Cause, in the case 
and for the purpose in question ? " 

And the same Sacred Congregation, after the 
account of the same most Eminent Deponent, after 
having maturely considered all things, and having 
heard the Reverend Father Dom John Baptist 
Lugari, Promoter of the Faith, was of opinion to 
answer: “ A ffirmatively , and there is reason to 
sign the Commission , if such is the good pleasure of 
His Holiness.” The twenty-seventh of July, 1897. 

A report of all this having been addressed to His 
Holiness Pope Leo the Thirteenth, by the Cardinal 
Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, His 
Holiness ratified the rescript of the Sacred Congre- 
3 6 4 






LIFE OF MOTHER MARY DE SALES CHAPPUIS. 


gation and, with his own hand, deigned to sign the 
Commission for the Introduction of the Cause of 
the Venerable Servant of God, Mary Francis de 
Sales Chappuis the same day and the same month, of 
the same year. 

Camille, cardinal Mazzella, 
Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites. 
Diomedes Panici, 

Secretary of the Sacred Congregation of Rites. 

THE END. 


365 










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